Multilingualism in the English–Speaking World: Pedigree of Nations

With a flurry of recent public controversy surrounding legislation on language in education and the workplace, observers are beginning to assess the likely consequences of the shift in balance when speakers of English as a second and foreign language outnumber native speakers. At the same time there is a growing appreciation of the benefits which multilingualism brings for both minority language speakers and the wider English–speaking community in terms of business, the arts, diplomacy and defence. Multilingualism in the English–speaking World: Pedigree of Nations looks at the everyday realities for people living in ‘inner–circle’ English–speaking countries from both historical and contemporary perspectives. Accessibly written and drawing on real–life examples from North America, the British Isles, Australia and New Zealand, this book discusses the theoretical issues that underpin the current debates, drawing on the research literature on societal multilingualism, language maintenance and shift, language policy, language and power, and language and identity.

Preface. Part I: The extent of diversity:. 1. The myth of monolingualism. 2. Roots of diversity. 3. Access to services. Part II: Language at home and in school:. 4. Language in the family. 5. Language and education: a history. 6. Language and education in the modern world. 7. Majority speakers and minority languages. Part III: Language in the wider community:. 8. Language and the economy. 9. Language and the media. 10. Language and the Arts. 11. Language, diplomacy and defence. 12. Is life really too short to learn German?. References. Index.

Viv Edwards is Professor of Language and Education at the University of Reading. She is editor of the international journal Language and Education , and her publications include The World in a Classroom: Language in Education in Britain and Canada (with Angela Redfern, 1992), The Other Languages: A Guide to Multilingual Classrooms (1996), and The Power of Babel: Teaching and Learning in Multilingual Classrooms (1998).

‘This ambitious book is timely, well conceived, and highly accessible to a wide audience. The author brings together a range of topics related to language that have not been addressed coherently in any other volume.’ Jim Cummins, University of Toronto ‘This is a book whose time has come. Its focus on multilingualism in English–dominant countries uncovers a wealth of language activity that has largely gone unnoticed, and unremarked, until now, providing a much–needed counterbalance to the myopic preoccupation in the academic and wider popular literature with English. Viv Edwards’s book is also simply a pleasure to read – highly lucid, accessible and interesting, there is much here to enjoy, and learn from, for both the academic and the general reader.’ Stephen May, University of Waikato "This work remains an important contribution to macro–sociolinguistic issues." Journal of Sociolinguistics<!––end––> "A hugely informative and timely book, which focuses on multilingualism in English–dominant countries" Multilingua