The problem of anglophone squint

The problem of anglophone squint The limited attention given by anglophones to the literature in other languages is a notable long-term condition, and Aalbers (2004) has quite volubly brought to the attention of readers of Area some of its manifestations and consequences. ‘Anglophone squint’, as it has been dubbed, is very evident in geography journals emanating from the English-speaking world (Whitehand 2003), as Aalbers made clear in different terms. The increasing dominance of the English language in several types of geographical communication over the past 100 years has been spelled out with characteristic thoroughness by Harris (2001). Fortunately, the distorted vision that has accompanied this trend is at last being recognized as a serious impediment by a sizeable number of researchers (Garcia-Ramon 2003), though the grounds for concern that have been expressed have tended to be more political than intellectual (Gregson et al. 2003). My purpose here is to rehearse briefly a few facts and speculations that bear on the problem and then identify some pointers in the search for remedies: for though we may differ in our grounds for concern there is surely