Sociolinguistic perspectives on emerging multilingualism in urban Europe

Abstract

In this article, sociolinguistic perspectives on the status and use of immigrant minority (henceforward IM) languages are presented. After a general introduction to the theme we focus on multilingualism and European identity, paying special attention to the European discourse on IM groups and integration. Next, we present information on the rationale, design, and core results of large scale home language surveys in six major multicultural cities across Europe. The data were collected and analyzed as part of the Multilingual Cities Project, carried out under the auspices of the European Cultural Foundation, established in Amsterdam. Against this background, we deal with the need for changing language regimes at school as a consequence of processes of migration and minorization across European nation states.