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The Future of Language
- Author
- Philip Seargeant
- Narrator
- Esh Alladi
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Publish Date
- 16 November 2023
- Run Time
- 7 hours 30 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
Will language as we know it cease to exist? What could this mean for the way we live our lives?
Shining a light on the technology currently being developed to revolutionise communication, The Future of Language distinguishes myth from reality and superstition from scientifically-based prediction as it plots out the importance of language and raises questions about its future.
From the rise of artificial intelligence and speaking robots, to brain implants and
computer-facilitated telepathy, language and communications expert Philip Seargeant surveys the development of new digital ‘languages’, such as emojis, animated gifs and memes, and investigates how conventions of spoken and written language are being modified by new trends in communication.
From George Orwell’s fictional predictions in Nineteen Eighty-Four to the very real warnings of climate activist Greta Thunberg, Seargeant explores language through time, traversing politics, religion, philosophy, literature, and of course technology, in the process. Tracing how previous eras have imagined the future of language, from the Bible to the works H. G. Wells, and from Star Wars to Star Trek, the book reveals how perfecting language and communication has always been a vital component of utopian dreams of the future.
Questioning the potential ramifications of recent and future developments in communication on society and its ideals, The Future of Language is a no holds barred investigation into the state of civilisation and the impact that changes in language could have on our lives.
Critics Review
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In an in-depth exploration of current concerns inspired by past events, aiming at developing future scenarios, Philip Seargeant takes the reader through a well documented, cleverly articulated view of the future of language.
Modern Language Review
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I've never read a book on language with such a breadth of vision, explored in such a wide range of technological and social settings, bringing together the worlds of linguistic science and science fiction to provide an insightful, cautionary account of current trends and their future consequences.
David Crystal, University of Bangor, UK
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You leave this book … with a renewed belief in language as “inherently creative”, offering what Noam Chomsky called "infinite expression by finite means”, and still our best way of expressing the sensory infinitude of being alive.
New Statesman
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In his scholarly, must-read book, Seargeant makes us think about the underpinnings of these convenient tools and what they portend for language, one of the cornerstones of human identity.
New Scientist
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Seargeant asks what might be around the corner for language as new technologies keep coming. His wide-ranging survey considers impacts that include social media and generative AI. Each is part of a larger pattern of disruption in the ecology of language use.
Times Literary Supplement
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This book is a seminal contribution to the field, challenging existing paradigms and offering new lenses through which to view the ongoing evolution of language. It pushes the boundaries of how we conceive communication in an increasingly interconnected world. It also urges future research into AI-driven language transformations and the sociopolitical impacts on global communication.
Journal of Language and Politics
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It is certain that our use of language is going to change in the near, mid- and long-term future. In this thought-provoking and sometimes rather alarming book, the implications for the human race are considered. Philip Seargeant raises issues that no one can afford to ignore.
Steve Buckledee, University of Cagliari, Italy
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Philip Seargeant
- Narrator
- Esh Alladi
- Duration
- 7 hours 30 minutes
- Release Date
- 16 November 2023
- ISBN
- 9781350433786
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Genre
- Linguistics, Sociolinguistics, Semantics, discourse analysis, stylistics, Communication studies, Media studies: internet, digital media and society, Impact of science and technology on society
Synopsis
Bloomsbury presents The Future of Language by Philip Seargeant, read by Esh Alladi.Will language as we know it cease to exist? What could this mean for the way we live our lives?Shining a light on the technology currently being developed to revolutionise communication, The Future of Language distinguishes myth from reality and superstition from scientifically-based prediction as it plots out the importance of language and raises questions about its future.From the rise of artificial intelligence and speaking robots, to brain implants andcomputer-facilitated telepathy, language and communications expert Philip Seargeant surveys the development of new digital ‘languages’, such as emojis, animated gifs and memes, and investigates how conventions of spoken and written language are being modified by new trends in communication.From George Orwell’s fictional predictions in Nineteen Eighty-Four to the very real warnings of climate activist Greta Thunberg, Seargeant explores language through time, traversing politics, religion, philosophy, literature, and of course technology, in the process. Tracing how previous eras have imagined the future of language, from the Bible to the works H. G. Wells, and from Star Wars to Star Trek, the book reveals how perfecting language and communication has always been a vital component of utopian dreams of the future.Questioning the potential ramifications of recent and future developments in communication on society and its ideals, The Future of Language is a no holds barred investigation into the state of civilisation and the impact that changes in language could have on our lives.
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