This book provides a broad sociolinguistic perspective on major questions of political and cultural Europeanization. It is concerned with European multilingualism as it actually results from the intersecting endeavour of policy making and scientific research. This volume argues that the EU must overcome the major discrepancies of its linguistic diversity politics by developing into a multiple inclusive society beyond the nation-state in order to seriously unfold European multilingualism as a political goal. Expanding on the theoretical and methodological approaches developed within the EU project LINEE (Languages in a Network of European Excellence), this book further focuses on the LINEE key variables of European multilingualism i.e. 'culture', 'discourse', 'identity', 'ideology', 'knowledge', 'LPP', 'multi-competence', and 'power & conflict'. Against this background, this study argues for reconceptualising European multilingualism on the basis of an integrative and multi-focal approach.

Introduction

1. European Multilingualism - Political Scope

1.1. Multilingualism and the Diversity Debate

1.2. European Multilingualism - Towards a Cross-Cutting Policy Framework

2. European Multilingualism as a Scientific Field of Research

2.1. Multilingualism - A Multi-Disciplinary Field of Research

3. The LINEE Project

3.1. Theoretical Dimension

3.2. LINEE Keyconcepts

3.3. Methodological Issues

3.4. Lines of Tension Emerging from LINEE

4. European Multilingualism Beyond LINEE

4.1. Re-Conceptualizing European Multilingualism

4.2. Towards an Integrative View of European Multilingualism

5. Conclusion

Rosita Rindler Schjerve is a full professor of Romance Linguistics at the Department of Romance Studies of Vienna University. Her research focus is on multilingualism, code-switching, language shift, language policies and Europeanisation. She was a partner in various EU-funded projects and author and editor of numerous books and contributions to international journals and handbooks.

Eva Vetter is a professor at the Center for Research into Language Teaching and Learning at the University of Vienna. She holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics and is the author of various publications focusing on specific aspects of multilingualism, e.g. minority languages in France, language awareness of teachers, and teaching and learning languages in multilingual contexts. Her research interests also include discourse analysis and language policy.