Multilingualism and Government

'Multilingualism and Government' provides case studies and an overview of the way in which governments deal with societal multilingualism in countries such as Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and the former Yugoslavia, in comparison with South Africa. The Universities of Antwerp in Belgium and the Orange Free State in South Africa have initiated a series of colloquia on Multilingualism and Government to be held over the next three years. This title is the outcome of the first of these and also the first of three publications that will follow from the colloquia. It specifically focuses on language policy and language legislation in these countries and presents a range of models, examples and also problems and challenges that need further attention. It is clear that each country is unique with regard to its language politics. However, it is also clear that the countries dealt with offer each other many useful lessons. For this reason the title offers an comparative forum on language policy matters.