Bilingualism and Multilingualism

Abstract

Bilingualism and multilingualism in very general terms are about the coexistence and co‐use of two or more languages in and by individuals and communities. Studies of bilingualism and multilingualism have become a well‐established, vast, and highly multidisciplinary field. Researchers have examined the causes and sources of bilingualism and multilingualism, the processes of using and managing multiple languages, and the consequences of bilingualism and multilingualism for the individual and for society. This entry reviews some of the core issues that bilingualism and multilingualism research has explored, beginning with the discussion of the notions of language and language contact. The main body of the entry examines bilingualism and multilingualism as a societal phenomenon and as an individual phenomenon. It concludes with a discussion of multilingualism and language contact in the twenty‐first century.