As instructors of a course on linguistic aspects of intercultural communication, Danesi (U. of Toronto) and Rocci (U. of Lugano) always had to prepare their own handouts, because there was no suitable textbook available. One day they realized they had created enough material for a textbook of their own. They coined the term global linguistics for it, to indicate the study of how the native languages of speakers influence the outcomes of intercultural interactions. The issue becomes ever more critical, they explain, as more people of different linguistic and cultural background communicate, try to communicate, and sometimes think they are communicating, across telecommunications technologies. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
