Tag Archives: Language & tourism

Pencils-on-the-move Pencils on the move

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Ingrid Piller

Sadly, my sabbatical is drawing to a close and one of the things to think about now is souvenirs. My sabbatical involved visits to Germany, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. My daughter has cousins and friends in each of … Continue reading →

Posted in Language & consumerism | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

luxos_arab traveler Money talks

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Ingrid Piller

Those of us in the broad area of TESOL often labor under the assumption of the invincibility of English hegemony. Whether they deplore it or exult in it, many people assume that English is on a straight march to linguistic … Continue reading →

Posted in Language & consumerism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

do you speak swiiss_front Do you speak Swiss?

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Ingrid Piller

A most amazing book has just landed on my desk: Do you speak Swiss, edited by Walter Haas, is the final report on a Swiss National Research Project devoted to Linguistic Diversity and Language Competence in Switzerland. Initiated by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Language & globalization, Language & tourism, Language learning, gender & identity, Language, migration & social justice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Shop signs of hostess bars on Thaniya Road, Sala Daeng, Bangkok The dark side of intercultural communication

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Kimie Takahashi 高橋君江

At 11pm at a Japanese ramen restaurant in Thaniya, Bangkok, a group of five middle-aged Japanese men and five young Thai women were dining right next to my table. It’s the kind of sight that is very common, if not … Continue reading →

Posted in Language & tourism | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Isfahan University English in Iran

Posted on December 30, 2010 by Ingrid Piller

Even a casual observer of the linguistic landscape in Iran will have to conclude that Iranians have a collective fetish for English. Almost all public signage is bilingual in English and Persian, even in cases where it is hard to … Continue reading →

Posted in Language & tourism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments