ABSTRACT

Interethnic contacts are the rule rather than the exception in Western countries that have historically experienced immigration and continue to receive newcomers from various linguistic and cultural backgrounds. It is mainly in urban centers that majority speakers are likely to meet linguistic minority speakers, thus creating numerous occasions for cross-cultural encounters (see Chapter 13, this volume). Such encounters between unilingual, bilingual, or multilingual speakers can reflect both interpersonal and intergroup dynamics framed in particular socio-political settings that are more or less open to linguistic, cultural, and ethnic diversity.