Multilingualism and Politics

"This book offers an invaluable interdisciplinary perspective on multilingualism in contemporary societies. With particular but not exclusive focus on Europe, the author approaches the subject from multiple points of view: political discourse, language policy, translation and citizenship. She also discusses how the issues surrounding multilingualism are framed- migration, language varieties and minority languages, how these issues underpin policy and issues of national and individual identity. This book should be read by both academics and language activists." -- Antonella Sorace, Bilingualism Matters, University of Edinburgh, UK

"This timely new book on multilingual politics addresses students of politics, sociology, sociolinguistics, culture, language policy, interpreting, translation, and postcolonial studies. This unique contribution traces multilingual situations at the European level, in relation to Brexit, and highlights the critical position of professionals and language educators as well as translators, interpreters and mediators, including in the Global South." -- Nicole Doerr, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

 This edited book makes a significant contribution to the relatively under-explored field of multilingualism and politics, approaching the topic from two key perspectives: multilingualism in politics, and the politics of multilingualism. Through the lens of case studies from around the world, the authors in this volume combine theoretical and empirical insights to examine the inter-relation between multilingualism and politics in different spheres and contexts, including minority language policy, national identity, the translation of political debates and discourse, and the use of multiple, often competing languages in educational settings. This book will be of interest to students and scholars in the fields of politics, sociology, sociolinguistics, language policy, and translation and interpreting studies.
Katerina Strani is Associate Professor and Head of Cultural Studies in the Department of Languages and Intercultural Studies at Heriot-Watt University, UK. With a background in languages and politics, she is interested in how multilingualism and multiculturalism shape contemporary society, politics and communities.