ABSTRACT
Introduction In any bilingual or multilingual context, policy makers are called upon to manage the ensuing political, social and institutional tensions. ey thus have to consider the nature, status and function of these languages, the co-existence of language varieties, the type of contact between the dierent languages, their relationship to internal and external dimensions of identity, and the part they play in giving access to information. ey are also faced with dierent institutional arrangements (legislation, policies, recommendations, and circulars) or practices (imposed by usage) undertaken on a daily basis in the areas of administration, economy, education, media and the construction of the public space.
