Abstract
As the UAE is still abuzz with the opening of the Burj Khalifa, I thought a post to mark the occasion might be in order. Seeing that I’m blogging on social aspects of multilingualism and language learning, the Tower of Babel myth obviously comes to mind – except that it seems a bit premature to tell the story of human hubris in relation to the world’s latest superlative in towers. It is another connection that intrigues me: the Burj Khalifa is obviously a monument to global consumption and luxurious materialism in a similar fashion that the Ancient Egyptian pyramids were monuments to the afterlife or the Gothic cathedrals were monuments to God’s glory.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Specialist publication | Language on the move |
| Publisher | Language on the move |
| Publication status | Published - 10 Jan 2010 |
Bibliographical note
Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.Keywords
- 200401 applied linguistics and educational linguistics
- 200405 language in culture and society (sociolinguistics)