In this major new text, Joshua Fishman charts the rise of vernacular literacy in Europe, and the major social and economic changes that attended it. The book looks at how European colonizers viewed vernacular literacy efforts in their current and former colonies, and how technology affects vernacular literacy both now and in the future.

Joshua A. Fishman is retired Emeritus Distinguished University Research Professor (Yeshiva University and Stanford University) and a frequent award recipient, lecturer, and publisher. He is also the co-founder of the field of sociolinguistics and founding editor of The International Journal of the Sociology of Language.