Language Shock - by Michael H Agar (Paperback)

About the Book

This guide to understanding the culture of conversation is by one of America's foremost linguistic anthropologists. In a fascinating journey through the meaning of language--and the relationship of language to culture--Michael Agar sheds new light on the oceans of language, showing how to keep afloat even when faced with something that seems overwhelmingly foreign.

Book Synopsis

Modern society is loaded with cultural differences. Michael Agar's fascinating new book, Language Shock, shows how we unconsciously bring such differences to life - through our everyday language. It is with language, ultimately, that we express who we are and what is important in our world. In fact, language is so deeply rooted in culture (and vice versa) that linguistic anthropologist Michael Agar combines the two into what he calls languaculture. With so much present conflict, from personal to global, based on words as well as weapons, the exploration of languaculture is of a vital and timely importance. As the old song goes, "You can't have one without the other" - not if you want to communicate in today's culturally complex world. Michael Agar takes the reader on a fascinating, and often humorous, journey as he demonstrates not only how to find the culture in language, but also how to use it to pursue a different, richer point of view. He incorporates his own experiences, ranging from paying an electric bill in Austria to handling a bank account in Mexico to dealing with a parking ticket here in the United States. In Agar's hands, potentially problematic situations become instead enlightening glimpses of languacultural differences. Put into practice, Language Shock encourages readers to develop an increased understanding of others, both at home and abroad, and shows how these differences can be wonderful, rather than threatening.

From the Back Cover

The key to communication, says linguistic anthropologist Michael Agar, is understanding the context and culture of conversation. In Language Shock, Agar reveals how deeply our language and cultural values intertwine to define who we are and how we relate to one another. From paying an electric bill in Austria to opening a bank account in Mexico to handling a parking ticket in the United States, he shows how routine tasks become lessons in the subtleties of conversation when we venture outside our cultural sphere. With humorous, insightful stories from his extensive travels, Agar engages us in a lively study of "languaculture" and enriches our view of the world.

Review Quotes

"Friendly, wry, and clever . . . Agar takes us with him to India, Austria, and Mexico-with junkies and truckers--introducing us to languaculture, the inextricable interrelation between language and culture." -- Deborah Tannen, Ph.D., author of "You Just Don't Understand: Women and Men in Conversation; " University Professor of Linguistics at Georgetown University"An engaging summary of important studies in linguistic anthropology." -- "The Washington Post Book World""Perceptive . . . A stimulating personal reflection on the complexities of communication between people, in whatever language or culture" -- "Kirkus Reviews""If you have no time to read more than one book on a linguistic topic a year, try this one." -- "The Times" (London)"Agar offers a really useful new way of thinking about how we human beings 'communicate.'" -- Linda Schele, author of "A Forest of Kings""Michael Agar's book allows much insight into the very complex relationship of language culture, and society. It is exciting to read!" -- Ruth Wodak, University Professor, The Linguistics Institute, University of Vienna, Austria