Language Ideologies, Policies and Practices

Abstract

The transition from the 20th to the 21st century has been characterized by processes of social transformation both within and across national boundaries. These processes have given rise to renewed tensions between regional, national and supra-national interests, which are starkly articulated in conflicting language ideologies, public policies and individual practices. Language theorists and policy makers therefore find themselves confronted with an urgent need to interpret the changing linguistic landscape and take account of new social conditions and the differing demands of increasingly differentiated speech communities. The contributions to this book explore the nature and implications of these complex language issues and help to develop an agenda for research on the politics of language in the context of globalization. Individual studies analyse specific ways in which language ideologies underpin policies, and the relationships between policies and practices, in a wide range of European settings, and the relevance of this experience to global trends is investigated in critical discussions of fundamental theoretical and conceptual issues.