ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the notion of Linguistic Citizenship, a term coined by Chris Stroud at the turn of the millennium in southern Africa to draw attention to ‘grassroots’ engagements with language (specifically multilingualism) as a dynamic of transformation. Linguistic Citizenship is an attempt to work through a blueprint for language for navigating living the complexities of a diverse and difficult world in conviviality (and convivial contest) with different Others. It is a disruptive engagement with the ‘coloniality of language’ involving the expansion and retooling of available linguistic resources.
The chapter covers bulk of work on Linguistic Citizienship subsequent to its inception concerning (a) rethinking the dynamic role of language/multilingualism in the reconstruction of post-colonial citizenships, (b) exploring the strategic uses of acts of Linguistic Citizenship in revitalization and maintenance of languages, and (c) building empowering contexts for education, It gives a brief presentation of each of the three areas under the rubrics of ‘love’, ‘hope’ and ‘care’, the biological fundamentals out of which language likely first emerged in contexts of convivial, hopeful and caring collaboration. The chapter concludes with a brief scoping of what Linguistic Citizenship could mean for how we think about multilingualism.
