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The persistence of English in Liberia

Sociolinguistic Factors

Bibliographic Data

ID2268435
AuthorsLawrence B Breitborde (Beloit College, corresponding author)
Year1988
Volume7
Issue1
Pages15-23
Publication date1988-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueWorld Englishes (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0883-2919 • E-ISSN: 1467-971X
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1467-971x.1988.tb00211.x
OpenAlexW2031834332
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited11

English has been a language of both prestige and socioeconomic advancement in Liberia. Historically, this was based on the political and economic position of a native English-speaking ethnic elite, as well as the spread of western values and customs within the majority of the non-elite. A military coup in 1980 removed the native English-speaking elite from their position of dominance in the social structure. The role of English, however, has not significantly been weakened. The Liberian case demonstrates the importance of the spread of western-based cultural values, independent from the role of elites in the social system, in understanding the continued significance of English

Dominance (genetics · Elite · Ethnic group · Linguistics · Political science · Politics · Population · Prestige · Socioeconomic status · Sociolinguistics · Sociology · Anthropology · Demography · Gender Studies · Law · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Multilingual Education and Policy · Second Language Learning and Teaching

  • City, countryside and Kru ethnicity

    Open Access•Lawrence B Breitborde•Africa•1991

  • The City, The Mesolect, and Innovation

    John Victor Singler•Journal of Pidgin and Creole…•1987

  • Where did Liberian English NA Come From

    John Victor Singler•English World-Wide A Journal of…•1987

  • Current Approaches to African Linguistics, 3

    Ben G Blount, Gerrit J Dimmendaal•Language•1988

  • The English Language in West Africa

    William E Welmers, John Spencer•Language•1973

  • Liberia

    D H Jones•International Affairs•1970

  • English in Liberia

    Ian Hancock, Ian F Hancock•American Speech•1974

  • Liberia

    Christopher Clapham•African Affairs•1988

  • On the Category 'Civilised' in Liberia and Elsewhere

    Open Access•David Brown•The Journal of Modern African…•1982

  • Politics in Liberia

    Ronald W Davis, Martin Lowenkopf•The International Journal of…•1977

  • Dynamics of a Creole System

    J Nichols, Derek Bickerton•Language•1976

Unique citing works1
Citations per year0,03
Citation span1991 - 1991 (1)
Citation velocityhistorical
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 1
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