Longman Dictionary of

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linguist
maintain unequal divisions of power, prestige, resources, etc, between
groups on the basis of language.
see LINGUISTIC IMPERIALISM
linguist n
1a person who specializes in the study of language. Different areas of
specialization are indicated by the field of study, as in applied linguist,
psycholinguist, sociolinguist, etc.
2 in popular usage, a person who speaks several languages fluently and
shows a propensity for language learning
linguistic analysis n
investigation into the structure and functions of a particular language or
language variety (see LANGUAGE 2 ) or of language in general as a system of
human communication (see LANGUAGE 1 ).
linguistic imperialism n
the theory that languages may be seen as occupying a dominant or dominated
role in a society. It is argued that English plays a dominant role
internationally and plays a role in maintaining the economic and political
dominance of some societies over others. Because of the role of English as
the dominant international language, many other languages have been
prevented from going through processes of development and expansion.
The spread of English is viewed as imposing aspects of Anglo-Saxon
Judaeo-Christian culture and causing a threat to the cultures and languages
of non-English speaking countries.
see also CULTURAL IMPERIALISM
linguistically disadvantaged adj
a term sometimes used to refer to a person who has an insufficient command
of the dominant language in a country. This term is not favoured
by linguists since it suggests the person’s home language is not useful or
is unimportant.
see also DEFICIT HYPOTHESIS
linguistic enviroment n
the spoken language that a learner encounters in both educational and
social settings, and which serves as potential listening input to the language
learning process.
linguistic insecurity n
a feeling of insecurity experienced by speakers or writers about some
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