Language Policy and the New Speaker Challenge

Hiding in Plain Sight

Colin H. Williams (Cardiff University)

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English

Cambridge University Press
28 August 2025

Language: reference & general; Sociolinguistics; Comparative politics

'New speakers' is a term used to describe those who have learnt a minority language not within their home or community settings, but through bilingual education, immersion or migration. Looking specifically at the impact of new speakers on language policy, this book provides an authoritative and detailed examination of minority language policy in Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the Basque Autonomous Community, Navarre, Catalonia and Galicia. Based on interviews with politicians, senior civil servants, academics and civil society activists, it assesses the extent to which interventions derived from a new speakers' perspective has been incorporated into official language practice. It describes several challenges faced by new speakers, before proposing specific recommendations on how to integrate them into established minority language communities. Shedding new light on the deeper issues faced by minority language communities, it is essential reading for students and researchers in sociolinguistics, language policy and planning, language education, bi- and multilingualism.

By: Colin H. Williams (Cardiff University)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
ISBN: 9781009048392
ISBN 10: 1009048392
Pages: 392
Publication Date: 28 August 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Colin H. Williams is Senior Research Associate at the Von Hügel Institute, University of Cambridge, and Honorary Professor at Cardiff University. He has been a policy adviser to governments in the UK, Ireland and Canada. Notable publications include Linguistic Minorities in Democratic Context (2013) and Minority Language Promotion, Protection and Regulation (2013).

Reviews for Language Policy and the New Speaker Challenge: Hiding in Plain Sight

'By considering the diverse contexts and perspectives examined in the book, scholars, policymakers, and language advocates can gain insights into the multifaceted nature of language policy and work towards more inclusive and effective approaches to language preservation.' Remart Dumlao, Language in Society 'Williams raises questions - both important and difficult - with which anyone concerned with researching or meeting the needs of new speakers will have to grapple.' Colin J. Flynn, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development