
How do children & adults become multilingual? How do they use their languages? What influence does being multilingual have on their identities? What is the social impact of multilingualism today & how do societies accommodate it? These are among the fascinating questions examined by this book Exploring multilingualism in individuals & in society at large Stavans & Hoffmann argue that it evolves not from one factor in particular but from a vast range of environmental & personal influences & circumstances from migration to globalisation from the spread of English to a revived interest in minority languages from social mobility to intermarriage The book shows the important role of education in helping to promote or maintain pupils' multilingual language competence & multilingual literacy & in helping to challenge traditional monolingual attitudes A clear & incisive account of this growing phenomenon it is essential reading for students teachers & policy-makers alike