There is one aspect of such teaching that I have so far only briefly
mentioned, however (p. 224). This is the use of such analysis to open up
ideological questions. Recent linguistics has largely ignored the rhetorical,
social and public uses of language which are of central concern to educators,
for example: the language of politics, law and religion; journalism and the
media; technical language; translating and interpreting; and in general the
kinds of socially weighted language used to establish and maintain control in
school classrooms, courtrooms, doctors' surgeries, mental hospitals, or by
"experts" and "science". There are, of course, isolated exceptions to this
neglect (e.g. Bolinger, 1980a, 1980b). However, these areas have largely
been the province of sociologists, literary critics and others. This is unfortunate,
since linguists could offer a great deal to such topics. As Milroy
argues (this volume), if socially responsible linguists do not do such
analyses, then they will be done, but less well, by others.