The Cambridge Handbook of Language Standardization

Description

Language standardization is the process by which conventional forms of a language are established and maintained. Bringing together internationally renowned experts, this Handbook provides a comprehensive overview of standardization, norms and standard languages. Chapters are grouped into five thematic areas: models and theories of standardization, questions of authority and legitimacy, literacy and education, borders and boundaries, and standardization in Late Modernity. Each chapter addresses a specific issue in detail, illustrating it with linguistic case studies and taking into account the particular political, social and cultural context. Showcasing cutting-edge research, it offers fresh perspectives that go beyond traditional accounts of the standardization of national European languages, and affords new insights into minoritized, indigenous and stateless languages. Surveying a wide range of languages and approaches, this Handbook is an essential resource for all those interested in language standards and standard languages.

Wendy Ayres-Bennett is Professor of French Philology and Linguistics at the University of Cambridge. She is Principal Investigator on the AHRC funded multi-disciplinary research project, Multilingualism: Empowering Individuals, Transforming Societies. John Bellamy is Lecturer in Linguistics, Manchester Metropolitan University. He has published extensively on language policy, youth linguistic practices, language attitudes and ideologies.