ABSTRACT
As you know from earlier chapters, English has co-existed throughout
its history with other languages across nations, institutions and
communities.
Earlier chapters have discussed how contact with other languages has
affected the development of English – from the influence of
Scandinavian languages and Norman French on Old and Middle
English (Chapter 2) to the distinctive features of New Englishes in
several parts of the world (Chapters 3 and 5). This chapter continues
the discussion of language contact, focusing on the status and use of
English alongside other languages in contemporary multilingual
contexts. This is of interest not only to linguists but also to non-
linguists who speak more than one language. If you use more than one
language in your daily life, while you are reading this chapter you may
frequently find yourself prompted to think about your own patterns of
language choice and what shaped them.
