Multilingualism

Multilingualism is everywhere in our globalised society. Delving into the 'social life' of languages, John Edwards provides a brief yet compelling overview of multilingualism and its sociocultural implications and consequences. Covering major topics including language origins, language death, lingua francas, pidgins, creoles and artificial languages, this book provides a complete introduction to what happens when languages meet. A vital primer for anybody interested in multilingualism, this new edition has been refreshed and updated, expanding its coverage and adding new topics such as linguistic imperialism, minority languages, and folk linguistics. A brand new chapter on recent developments also covers the linguistic landscape, language planning, the 'new speaker' phenomenon and digital multilingualisms. Accessibly written in an engaging style which assumes no prior knowledge, this book is an essential introduction for anybody interested in multilingualism and language.

John Edwards is Senior Research Professor at St Francis Xavier University, Canada, and Adjunct Professor at Dalhousie University, Canada.

Prologue 1. Language Origins and Language Diversity 2. Interpreting Language Diversity 3. The Emergence and Measurement of Multilingualism 4. Dialects and Other Language Varieties 5. Multilingual Abilities 6. The Consequences of Babel: Lingua Francas and Translation 7. Keeping Languages Pure 8. Languages and Identities 9. Language Decline and Revival: Basic Factors 10. Language Decline and Revival: Advocacy and Activism 11. Language Planning and the Ecology of Language 12. Postmodern Perspectives Epilogue Bibliography Index