Delivering facts and findings from a variety of multilingual settings, this textbook systematically covers the diverse dimensions of multilingualism. As well as explaining key concepts, it examines the foremost issues of individual and societal multilingualism. It discusses topics from indigenous and minority languages to World Englishes and translanguaging, and from cross-linguistic influence to multilingual identity and the impact of multilingualism on healthy aging and considers the models and research methods used to underpin these discussions. Each chapter is supported by a comprehensive review of relevant research to reveal fresh perspectives, offer discerning insights and pose challenging possibilities for future exploration.

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An advanced introduction to multilingualism and its interdisciplinary dimensions

Foreword, Muiris Ó Laoire; Introduction: How do we approach multilingualism?; Part I: The field of multilingualism; 1. What is multilingualism?; 1.1 What is multilingualism about?; 1.1.1 Definitions of multilingualism; 1.1.2 Are bilingualism and multilingualism the same or different?; 1.2 Individual and social multilingualism; 1.3 Historical and Current Multilingualism; 1.4 How many languages and speakers are there in the world?; 1.5 The purview of multilingualism; Summary; Further Reading, Exercises and Reflective Questions; 2. Multilingualism as an exceptional resource; 2.1 Resources of multilingualism; 2.2 How unique is human language and the ability for multilingualism?; 2.2.1 Pavlov's second and first signal systems; 2.2.2 Animal communication; can animals be multilingual?; 2.3 Human language; 2.3.1 Language universals; 2.3.2 Language features in different languages; 2.3.3 Linguistic relativity/linguistic determinism hypothesis; Summary; Further Reading, Exercises and Reflective Questions; 3. Multilingualism as a modern reality and a field of knowledge; 3.1 Social awareness in languages; 3.1.1 Paradigms and stages; 3.1.2 The Monolingual stage; 3.1.3 The Bilingual stage; 3.1.4 The Multilingual stage; 3.2 The New Linguistic Dispensation; Summary; Further Reading, Exercises and Reflective Questions; Part II: Languages; 4. Languages of the world; 4.1 Languages and dialects; 4.1.1 What is a language?; 4.1.2 What is a dialect?; 4.1.3 Dialect continuum; 4.2 Language Standardization; 4.2.1 Standardization and codification; 4.2.2 Pluricentric languages; 4.3 Linguistic distance; 4.4 Kashru's Circles and the World Englishes; 4.5 Language varieties resulting from language contact; 4.5.1 Pidgins and Creoles; 4.5.2 Bilingual mixed languages; Summary; Further Reading, Exercises and Reflective Questions; 5. Classifications of languages; 5.1 Linguistic classifications of languages; 5.1.1 Word order typology; 5.1.2 Linguistic Structural Typology; 5.1.3 Genetic classification of languages 5.2 Sociolinguistic classifications of languages; 5.2.1 The Galactic model (de Swaan); 5.2.2 Economic-related hierarchies; 5.3 Distinct categories of languages; 5.3.1 Lingua francas: English as a Lingua Franca; 5.3.2 Sign languages; 5.3.3 Artificial (constructed) languages; Summary; Further Reading, Exercises and Reflective Questions; Part III: Multilingualism in society; 6. Multilingualism at the societal level: basic concepts; 6.1 Language contact; 6.1.1 Borrowing; 6.1.2 Sprachbund; 6.2 Speech community; 6.3 Diglossia; 6.4 Domain; Summary; Further Reading, Exercises and Reflective Questions; 7. Societal Multilingualism: Multilingual regions and countries; 7.1 How do countries become multilingual?; 7.2 Roles and status of languages in multilingual countries and organizations; 7.3 Diversity of multilingualism; 7.3.1 Measures of linguistic diversity; 7.3.2 How multilingual countries differ from each other; 7.3.3 Multilingual regions and countries: Africa and India; Summary; Further Reading, Exercises and Reflective Questions; Part IV: Individual Multilingualism; 8. Individual Multilingualism: psycholinguistic and cognitive dimensions; 8.1 Who are the multilinguals?; 8.2. Special features and language behaviour of multilinguals; 8.3 Multilinguals in conditions of health and decline; 8.3.1 Early and late multilinguals; 8.3.2 Age and additional language acquisition; 8.3.3 The impact of multilingualism in situations of healthy aging and disease; Summary; Further Reading, Exercises and Reflective Questions; 9. Individual Multilingualism: social dimensions; 9.1 Multilinguality – the identity of a multilingual; 9.1.1 The expansion of the identity concept technology impact on multilingual identity multimodal dimensions of multilingual identity; 9.1.2 Multilinguality;9.2 Trajectories of becoming multilingual; 9.2.1 Simultaneous and successive patterns of acquisition; 9.2.2 Hoffmann's typology of trilinguals; 9.2.3 Becoming or not becoming multilingual: challenges and choices of multilingual families; 9.3 Various categories of multilinguals; 9.3.1 Polyglots; 9.3.2 Other exceptional multilinguals; Summary; Further Reading, Exercises and Reflective Questions; Part V: How do we experience and study multilingualism; 10. The ways we experience, treat and use languages; 10.1 The way we treat languages - language nominations; 10.1.1 What are language nominations?; 10.1.2 How do language nominations emerge?; 10.1.3 Language nominations: how expedient are they?; 10.2 The way we use languages. Language Repertoire and Dominant Language Constellations; 10.2.1 Language repertoire; 10.2.2.Dominant Language Constellations; 10.3. The way we experience languages; 10.3.1 Translanguaging and code-switching; 10.3.2 Intercomprehension/ receptive multilingualism; 10.3.3The material culture of multilingualism; Summary; Further Reading, Exercises and Reflective Questions; 11. Methods of studying multilingualism; 11.1 Features of multilingualism research; 11.2 Research methodologies and types of research; 11.2.1 Research philosophies methodologies and research types; 11.2.2 Quantitative research; 11.2.3 Qualitative research; 11.2.4 Holistic and Complexity research; 11.2.5 Triangulation; Summary; Further Reading, Exercises and Reflective Questions; 12. Models of multilingualism; 12.1 What are theories and what are models?; 12.2 Models of multilingualism; 12.2.1 Factor model by Hufeisen; 12.2.2 DMM by Herdina and Jessner; 12.2.3 Biotic model by Aronin and Ó Laoire; 12.2.4 Role-Function model by Williams and Hammarberg; 12.2.5 Multilingual Processing Model by Meiβner; 12.3 Modelling in multilingualism; Summary; Further Reading, Exercises and Reflective Questions; Conclusion: Reflecting on multilingualism; Languages Index; Subject Index; Bibliography

Foreword – Muiris Ó Laoire
Introduction: How do we approach multilingualism?
Part One. The Field of Multilingualism
Chapter 1 What is multilingualism?
Chapter 2. Multilingualism as an exceptional resource
Chapter 3. Multilingualism as a modern reality and a field of knowledge
Part Two. Languages
Chapter 4. Languages of the world
Chapter 5 Classifications of languages
Part Three. Multilingualism in Society
Chapter 6. Multilingualism at the societal level: basic concepts
Chapter 7. Societal Multilingualism: Multilingual regions and countries
Part Four. Individual Multilingualism
Chapter 8 Individual Multilingualism: psycholinguistic and cognitive dimensions
Chapter 9 Individual Multilingualism: social dimensions
Part Five. How Do We Experience and Study Multilingualism
Chapter 10. The ways we experience, treat and use languages
Chapter 11. Methods of studying multilingualism
Chapter 12. Models of multilingualism
Conclusion: Reflecting on multilingualism
Languages Index; Subject Index; Bibliography

An advanced introduction to multilingualism and its interdisciplinary dimensions

Larissa Aronin is an Associate Professor of Education in Israel

Muiris Ó Laoire is Professor of Language Revitalisation Studies at the University of Auckland.

• 12 chapters each finishing with a summary and further reading list s and chapter reviews and reflective discussion questions and exercises at the end of each chapter
• Each chapter features reflective discussion questions and exercises designed to enhance presentation skills, tutorial work and private study
• Glossary of key terms is available via the resources tab
• Over 50 tables, text boxes and figures to demonstrate key concepts, data and ideas