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Chapter 5. From glossophagic hegemony to multilingual pluralism?

Re-assessing the politics of linguistic identity in Europe
  • Peter A. Kraus
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The Politics of Multilingualism
This chapter is in the book The Politics of Multilingualism

Abstract

The chapter assesses the politics of multilingualism in contemporary Europe by focusing on the role of options and ligatures in the framing of linguistic identities. Whereas nation-state construction mostly entailed the establishment of monolingual spaces that should make for a convergence of linguistic ligatures and linguistic options, the emergence of new transnational settings at different levels is contributing to an increasing disconnection between language-as-an-option and language-as-a-ligature that affects not only minority, but also majority, members. This dynamic may have important implications for how demands for linguistic recognition are articulated by different groups.

Abstract

The chapter assesses the politics of multilingualism in contemporary Europe by focusing on the role of options and ligatures in the framing of linguistic identities. Whereas nation-state construction mostly entailed the establishment of monolingual spaces that should make for a convergence of linguistic ligatures and linguistic options, the emergence of new transnational settings at different levels is contributing to an increasing disconnection between language-as-an-option and language-as-a-ligature that affects not only minority, but also majority, members. This dynamic may have important implications for how demands for linguistic recognition are articulated by different groups.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. List of contributors ix
  5. List of abbreviations xvii
  6. List of figures, tables, charts and pictures xix
  7. Chapter 1. The politics of multilingualism 1
  8. Part I. Reconceptualising multilingualism and collective identity
  9. Chapter 2. The politics of multilingualism in Canada 19
  10. Chapter 3. A Russian-speaking nation? 39
  11. Chapter 4. The impact of mobility and migration on the identity-constructing policy in Brussels 65
  12. Chapter 5. From glossophagic hegemony to multilingual pluralism? 89
  13. Chapter 6. Transient linguistic landscapes of activism 111
  14. Part II. Linguistic hegemony, insecurity and linguistic justice
  15. Chapter 7. How to measure linguistic justice? 145
  16. Chapter 8. Linguistic justice and English as a Lingua Franca 167
  17. Chapter 9. The promise and pitfalls of global English 201
  18. Chapter 10. Languages, norms and power in a globalised context 223
  19. Part III. Lingua Franca and global linguistic governance
  20. Chapter 11. On some fashionable terms in multilingualism research 247
  21. Chapter 12. English, the Lingua Nullius of global hegemony 275
  22. Chapter 13. Idealism or pragmatism? 305
  23. Chapter 14. European integration and the variety of languages 333
  24. Author index 359
  25. Subject index 365
https://doi.org/10.1075/wlp.6.05kra

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. List of contributors ix
  5. List of abbreviations xvii
  6. List of figures, tables, charts and pictures xix
  7. Chapter 1. The politics of multilingualism 1
  8. Part I. Reconceptualising multilingualism and collective identity
  9. Chapter 2. The politics of multilingualism in Canada 19
  10. Chapter 3. A Russian-speaking nation? 39
  11. Chapter 4. The impact of mobility and migration on the identity-constructing policy in Brussels 65
  12. Chapter 5. From glossophagic hegemony to multilingual pluralism? 89
  13. Chapter 6. Transient linguistic landscapes of activism 111
  14. Part II. Linguistic hegemony, insecurity and linguistic justice
  15. Chapter 7. How to measure linguistic justice? 145
  16. Chapter 8. Linguistic justice and English as a Lingua Franca 167
  17. Chapter 9. The promise and pitfalls of global English 201
  18. Chapter 10. Languages, norms and power in a globalised context 223
  19. Part III. Lingua Franca and global linguistic governance
  20. Chapter 11. On some fashionable terms in multilingualism research 247
  21. Chapter 12. English, the Lingua Nullius of global hegemony 275
  22. Chapter 13. Idealism or pragmatism? 305
  23. Chapter 14. European integration and the variety of languages 333
  24. Author index 359
  25. Subject index 365
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