Language, Media and Globalization in the Periphery

The title seeks to show how people are embedded culturally, socially and linguistically in a certain peripheral geographical location, yet are also able to roam widely in their use and takeup of a variety of linguistic and cultural resources. Drawing on data examples obtained from ethnographic fieldwork trips in Mongolia, a country located geographically, politically and economically on the Asian periphery, this book presents an example of how peripheral contexts should be seen as crucial sites for understanding the current sociolinguistics of globalization. Dovchin brings together several themes of wide contemporary interest, including sociolinguistic diversity in the context of popular culture and media in a globalized world (with a particular focus on popular music), and transnational flows of linguistic and cultural resources, to argue that the role of English and other languages in the local language practices of young musicians in Mongolia should be understood as "linguascapes." This notion of linguascapes adds new levels of analysis to common approaches to sociolinguistics of globalization, offering researchers new complex perspectives of linguistic diversity in the increasingly globalized world.

"In this absorbing book, Sender Dovchin shows us how young Mongolians make ‘Heltei bol hultei’ (If you have language, you have legs) a reality as they engage with diverse forms of language and popular music. Through a range of fascinating examples of Mongolian musical linguascapes, she vividly demonstrates the diverse symbolic and political effects of artists’ creative language use. A key book for understanding language, culture and the periphery." - Alastair Pennycook, Distinguished Professor at University of Technology, Sydney, and author of Posthumanist Applied Linguistics (Routledge, 2018). "Inviting the reader into the little known world of Mongolian popular music, Sender Dovchin makes a powerful argument for the theoretical relevance of "linguascapes" to contemporary applied linguistics. "Language, Media, and Globalization in the Periphery" is a compelling and highly readable text from an exciting new scholar whose innovative work will resonate with both teachers and researchers across global sites. What’s next?" - Bonny Norton, FRSC. Professor and Distinguished University Scholar, University of British Columbia"Dovchin has opened up a whole new world to us with a gripping narrative of the dynamic linguascapes of popular music in Mongolia. The linguistic, cultural and political complexities presented in this account show that what is periphery in geographical terms should be central in sociolinguistics research. The book is an important contribution to the growing literature on language, media and globalization." - Li Wei, Professor and Chair of Applied Linguistics, University College London, UK

Sender Dovchin received her Ph.D. from University of Technology, Sydney in 2015. She is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the School of Education, Curtin University, Western Australia. Previously, she was an Associate Professor at the Centre for Language Research, University of Aizu, Japan. Her research explores the linguistic practices of young generation in the current age of globalization. She has published her works in the Journal of Sociolinguistics, International Journal of Multilingualism, Multilingua, English Today, World Englishes, Asian Englishes, International Multilingual Research Journal, Translation and Translanguaging in Multilingual Contexts and Inner Asia. Her most recent book is Popular Culture, Voice and Linguistic Diversity: Young Adults Online and Offline (2018) co-authored with Alastair Pennycook and Shaila Sultana.