Introduction

Abstract

This book deals with the issue of linguistic justice in relation to the spread of competence in a common lingua franca not only throughout Europe but also throughout the world. More specifically, it explores the injustices generated by the spread of competence in English. Drawing on examples from the scholarly literature and from Belgium and Europe, the book presents a stylised picture of the mechanism that underpins the dissemination of the lingua franca and many other linguistic phenomena. It also explains how injustice can arise when one language is given a privileged status, along with the principles that should be adopted when trying to remove or minimise such injustice. In addition, it discusses linguistic diversity and its relationship with justice concerns. The book argues that an accelerated worldwide democratisation of competence in English must be combined with the territorial protection of a large number of languages.