Emotion and Language Politics: The Brazilian Case

The objective of this paper is to make a case for the claim that exclusive focus on the rational has only helped isolate linguists and prevented them from having a say on important political issues relating to language. One important feature of the ordinary person's view of and involvement with language is that emotions play an important role in both. And it is precisely this feature that linguists, as a matter of general rule, fail to take into account when addressing issues related to practical affairs involving language. Language loyalty, bilingualism, codeswitching etc. can only be fully addressed provided we also take into account their emotional connotations. Theoretically oriented in its thrust, this paper discusses (1) how linguistics has from its inception sought to downplay or altogether ignore the importance of emotions as they figure in what is depreciatively referred to as 'folk linguistics' and (2) how, largely in consequence of that inaugural decision, the science is threatened with becoming a body of knowledge with very little impact on what happens in the real world.

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