ABSTRACT
There is an unexplored assumption in much of SLA research that a learner has acquired one language from birth and, now that she is living in another country with a different language, she will gradually acquire this additional language and assimilate to ‘native-speaker’ norms. The two languages are seen as separate and stable entities. However, many people live in situations where two or more languages are in daily use and many of the world’s urban settings, including British cities, may be called ‘polyphonic’: sites in which many languages are seen and heard. Studies have shown that people move between these languages in complex ways. In this chapter we focus on studies of linguistic diversity and pluralism, and explore the linguistic changes that result from the frequent contact of different languages in order to reconsider assumptions about language learners, and language use, in SLA research. We go on to discuss the relationships between language use and social identity, and the rationale of bilingual language programmes that address identity issues.
