Changing facets of English in Sri Lanka

The publication English in Sri Lanka, : Ceylon English, Lankan English, Sri Lankan English, codifies and analyses primarily from linguistic perspectives, the evolution of English in Sri Lanka from colonial days and how the native speech community developed variants of English with their standard and non-standard dialects. The publication from a pedagogic perspective offers insightful accounts of how native languages such as Sinhalese and Tamil influence the use of English in Sri Lanka, how the standard form emerged out of the use of the Sri Lankans who adopted English as their first language and how English traverses its course through a changing socio-economic landscape. The publication includes academic articles by well known researchers such as Suresh Canagarajah, Ryhana Raheem, Hemamala Ratwatte, John Halverson and Chitra Fernando.

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Encounters:

The new Nobel laureate from Sweden

Tomas Transtroner is this year's winner of the Nobel Prize for literature He is the 108th recipient of this most prestigious award. He was a frontrunner for this award for many years. Tomas Transtromer is arguably the most well-known, both nationally and internationally, among Swedish poets; he has a formidable international reputation.

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Cultural Scene:

Third cinema and Sri Lankan cinema

In this column, I explore the idea ‘third cinema’ and how it would apply to contemporary Sri Lankan cinema. In modern context, the term ‘Third Cinema’ assumes a broader perspective than merely being associated with de-colonisation and nation-building.

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