The Minority Language As a Second Language: Challenges and Achievements

This innovative collection is the first of its kind to showcase global perspectives on learning minority languages as second languages, offering unique insights into their acquisition and specific characteristics and raising greater awareness around other languages and contexts where SLA occurs.

The volume examines how minority languages are acquired as second languages across a range of geographic settings where these languages are unique minorities; that is, they are spoken in one or more states where they have a minority status. International case studies explore particular features of these languages as well as the challenges of teaching and learning them, including standardization, legal recognition at all educational levels, the dissemination of printed and digital materials and more or less limited language use in the local community. Highlighted languages include Ashaninka, Basque, Frisian, Hawaiian, Irish, Isthmus Zapotec, Quechua Chanka, Tonga and Welsh. Each chapter adopts a consistent structure, with a brief introduction to the sociolinguistic landscape, followed by sections on language use in education, research studies, reflections and discussions related to the learning of minority languages as second languages and the implication of these processes for the revitalization of minority languages.

Breaking new ground in second language acquisition research, this book is an indispensable resource for advanced students and researchers in SLA, multilingual education, bilingualism and sociolinguistics.

Jasone Cenoz is a member of the Advisory Board for the Organization of Ibero-American States (Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos) and former Professor of Education at the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU. She has been AILA Publications Coordinator and President of the International Association of Multilingualism.

Durk Gorter is former Ikerbasque Research Professor at the University of the Basque Country, Spain. Among his recent publications are Pedagogical Translanguaging (2021) and A Panorama of Linguistic Landscape Studies (2023), both co-authored with Jasone Cenoz. He has been the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Language, Culture and Curriculum.