Maintaining Minority Languages in Transnational Contexts : Australian and European Perspectives

Deals with challenges to the maintenance of minority (or community) languages in this era of globalization and increasing transnational movements of people. The contributors, experts in language policy, language maintenance and multilingualism offer complementary perspectives from Australia and Europe on the maintenance of linguistic diversity. -- From publisher's website "Beginning with a critique of the concept of Europe, this book explores the political context for current language policy. Social and political status within the European Union can bring significant benefits for speakers of national or official languages. While speakers of minority and contested languages have derived considerable benefits from the transnational context, many are less than happy with the hierarchical structure of EU language policy. This book focuses on languages spoken in Europe by Europeans and non-Europeans alike. The author explores key questions such as the impact of political boundaries on the concept of language and the significance of language for citizenship in Eastern Europe in particular. It assesses the quest for recognition and legitimacy among speakers of minority and contested languages and queries the non-recognition of migrant, non-European languages. The book adopts an interdisciplinary approach from a social science perspective and advocates an alternative approach to language policy."--Jacket Front Matter....Pages i-xii Managing and Maintaining Minority Languages in the Era of Globalization: Challenges for Europe and Australia....Pages 1-9 Front Matter....Pages 11-11 Community Languages and the 2001 Australian Census....Pages 13-29 Comparative Perspectives on Immigrant Minority Languages in Multicultural Europe....Pages 30-56 Front Matter....Pages 57-57 Maintaining Multilingualism in Europe: Propositions for a European Language Policy....Pages 59-77 Contrasting and Comparing Minority Language Policy: Europe and Australia....Pages 78-104 Front Matter....Pages 105-105 Maintaining a Language Other than English Through Higher Education in Australia....Pages 107-123 Inconsistencies and Discrepancies in Official Approaches to Linguistic Diversity: The Case of Norway....Pages 124-140 Communication and Community: Perspectives on Language Policy in Sweden and Australia since the Mid-1970s....Pages 141-179 Language Maintenance and the Second Generation: Policies and Practices....Pages 180-200 Back Matter....Pages 201-209 Maintaining Minority Languages in Transnational Contexts offers insights into the complexities of language planning and policy, and highlights Australian and European - and EU - approaches to the management of multilingualism. These approaches include dealing with indigenous and migrant ethnolinguistic minorities, critical examination of educational policies for the provision of community languages in mainstream schooling, educational initiatives for the linguistic integration of minority language speakers and community efforts to maintain and/or revitalise minority languages. The chapters offer insights into country-specific policies in Australia, Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Spain and Sweden, and engage in comparative discussions, either between countries within Europe or between Australia and Europe The author presents a new approach to the study of language policy, by focusing on language policy formation and implementation as a dynamic, conflict-laden process involving the interaction of various actors with different motivations and uneven bargaining powers, rather than as a product , examinable post hoc from existing language legislation.