The Future of Language - How Technology, Politics Utopianism are Transforming Way we Communica

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.>

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.

Product details

• Authors: Philip Seargeant
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 15.05.2025
• EAN: 9781350538474
• ISBN: 978-1-350-53847-4
• No. of pages: 256
• Dimensions: 138 mm x 216 mm x 22 mm
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative linguistics; Non-fiction book; World, Media Studies, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / Sociolinguistics, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Media Studies, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Communication Studies, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / Semantics, SCIENCE / Philosophy & Social Aspects, TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / Social Aspects, Sociolinguistics, Digital lifestyle, Communication Studies, Impact of science & technology on society, Media studies: internet, digital media and society, Impact of science and technology on society, Semantics, discourse analysis, stylistics, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Technology Studies, Semantics, discourse analysis, etc