English Desire in the Olympic Spotlight : Language Policy and Planning for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Hardcover by Zhang, Jie Jennifer; Piller, Ingrid (FRW), ISBN 1614516863, ISBN-13 9781614516866, Brand New, Free shipping in the US

Taking the 2008 Beijing Olympics as her focal point, Zhang traces the paradox that as China has grown in economic, geopolitical and military influence in the world, the language that has most benefited has been English: China is now has more English speakers than all but four other countries.. In particular, she shows how English became central to the mega-event, which constituted a key plank in China's efforts to showcase its national progress to the world. Among her topics are the modern Olympic Games as linguistically complex events, Beijing's commitment-international language environment, imagined communities and identity options in Beijing Olympic English textbooks, and the linguistic landscape of the Olympic City. Annotation ©2021 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR ()