ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides case studies of performance and metalinguistic discourse in diverse communities and contexts. It explores the intricate relation between the construction of linguistic borders and the rise of national identity in post-independence South Sudan. The book also provides a different pattern of the relation between language and the state. It looks at the role of dialect Darija in Morocco as the defining factor of a new Moroccan identity. The book analysis of perception and attitudes, the conflict between British Standard English and stigmatized dialect variables. It focuses on methods used to study dialect variation among multilingual speakers. The book examines the social meanings of Wolof and French in Senegal. It explores the role of Siwi, which is a minority language in Egypt, and how it has become a symbol of authenticity in a highly commodified context.
