Multilingualism: Understanding Linguistic Diversity - Softcover

John Edwards

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1350195413 ISBN 13: 9781350195417

Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic, 2022

Synopsis

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 socio-cultural 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 new chapter on recent developments covers the linguistic landscape, language planning, the 'new speaker' phenomenon and digital multilingualisms, and the addition of reflection questions at the end of each chapter encourages readers to consider their own experiences and the role and impact of multilingualism on the world around them.

Accessibly written in an engaging style which assumes no prior knowledge, this book is an essential introduction for anybody interested in multilingualism and language.

About this title

About the Author

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

Edition details

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Publication date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1350195413
• ISBN 13: 9781350195417
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 288