This volume addresses the themes of language, identity and linguistic politics in Europe. The twelve essays draw on approaches and methodologies from a range of disciplines, from sociolinguistics and contact linguistics to cultural history, psychology and policy studies. Together, they offer a collection of views on how language, society and identity are perceived to be connected. These issues are of particular importance in Europe, where the nation-building project is often paired with a linguistically based notion of social identity. However, historical forces including shifting borders, economically and politically motivated mobility and changing political regimes have led to more complex national identities and more nuanced approaches to the role of language. Both historical developments and contemporary sociolinguistic contexts are investigated in the book, including the presence of multilingual communities and minority language communities. The volume makes a significant and timely contribution to our understanding of the linguistic landscape of todays Europe.

Contents: Virve-Anneli Vihman/Jürgen Barkhoff: Introduction: The Shaping of Linguistic Identity in Europe – Johanna Laakso: Who Needs Karelian, Kven or Austrian Hungarian - and Why? – Anna Verschik: Estonian-Russian Code-Copying in Russian-Language Blogs: Language Change and a New Kind of Linguistic Awareness – Martin Ehala: Russian-Speakers in the Baltic Countries: Language Use and Identity – Bettina Bock/Rosemarie Lühr: Interaction Among European Languages and German Vocabulary – John E. Joseph: Indexing and Interpreting Language, Identities and Face – Emili Boix-Fuster: Languages and Identities in Catalonia – Konstanze McLeod: Gaelic and Sorbian as Multiple Boundary Markers: Implications of Minority Language Activism in Scotland and Lusatia – Aune Valk: The Role of Language in Estonian Identity – Patrick Sériot: Language and Nation: Two Models – Tomasz Kamusella: Scripts and Politics in Modern Central Europe – John Walsh: Pushing an Open Door? Aspects of Language Policy at an Irish University.