The subject of multilingualism in institutions has long been a central interest in sociolinguistics, and it is worth asking why. The answer lies in the role of institutions in the modern nation state, a point made over and over again by Michel Foucault. Institutions control access to all the resources a state can distribute; it distributes them…

Explores ways in which the globalized new economy has resulted in the commodification of language and identity, sometimes separately, sometimes together. The article is based on recent ethnographic, sociolinguistic research in francophone areas of Canada. (Author/VWL)

Discusses the need for a forum to discuss public issues related to language. Introduces three papers that focus on current language issues. (Author/VWL)

Argues that applied linguistics should take as its central focus the concept of "language in the world." Emphasizes that it is necessary to examine the autonomy or interdependence of linguistic, cognitive, and social processes and to define research questions addressing the connection of these processes in an interdisciplinary fashion. (17…

Concerns current transformation in the relationship between political and linguistic ideologies of la francophonie based on a sociolinguistic ethnographic study in a French-language minority school in Canada. (Author/VWL)

Discusses the minority French-speaking population in Ontario from its 17th century origin to the present day, focusing on the changing circumstances affecting minority French-language education. Political, economic, and demographic processes are shown to influence the role played by the French-language schools in the maintenance of French language…