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The Future of Language

How Technology, Politics and Utopianism are Transforming the Way we Communicate
By Dr Philip Seargeant
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Brief Description
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... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3299
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In a world where all language is data that can be stored, monitored, and controlled, The Future of Language explores the impact this will have on how we communicate.

In a world where all language is data that can be stored, monitored, and controlled, The Future of Language explores the impact this will have on how we communicate.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

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 β€˜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 of 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.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781350538474

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 April 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 138.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 332g

Pages: 256

Collections

Dr Philip Seargeant Education & Reference Non-Fiction Science & Nature

About the Author

Philip Seargeant is Senior Lecturer in Applied Linguistics at the Open University, UK. His recent publications include The Art of Political Storytelling (Bloomsbury Academic, 2020) and The Emoji Revolution (2019). He has won awards for his short films on language and communication, including the viral series The History of English in Ten Minutes. He is a frequent contributor to publications such as Wired, The New European, Prospect, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post and The Independent.

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