It was traditionally assumed that a single official language was necessary for the wellbeing of the state, particularly in France and Britain. This assumption is now questioned, and regional languages are making, in some cases, an impressive comeback. This book analyses a range of languages' development, decline and efforts at regeneration.

'...it will certainly appear on reading lists for my final-year students.' - Robert Blackwood, University of Liverpool, writing in Language Policy

'The story is well told, interesting to read and up-to-date. This is a good straightforward account of the situation for each country and RL and to be recommended.' - Dennis Ager, French Studies

'... Judge's work is a valuable addition to the Palgrave Studies in Minority Languages and Communities. It should be welcomed as a text for courses in European studies or language planning, and will no doubt be gratefully consulted by many specialist students of French and readers of JFLS.' - Gertrud Aub-Buscher, Journal of French Language Studies

Autorentext
ANNE JUDGE is Professor Emeritus of French and Linguistics at the University of Surrey, UK. She has lectured and published extensively on language and linguistic legislation, originally in relation to France, French within the EU, and the Francophone world, but more recently on linguistic legislation in Britain, finding their similarities and differences both fascinating and enlightening. She is co-author of a history of French style, Stylistic Developments in Literary and Non-Literary French Prose (1995), and is perhaps best known as co-author of A Reference Grammar of Modern French, first published in 1983.

Inhalt
Acknowledgements Series Editor's Preface Introduction PART 1: THE RISE OF FRENCH AND ENGLISH AND THE DESTRUCTION OF THE REGIONAL LANGUAGES The Rise of French as an Official National Language The Rise of English as an Official Language PART 2: THE REGIONAL LANGUAGE SPOKEN IN METROPOLITAN FRANCE: GENERAL PRESENTATION Regional Languages Official Elsewhere: Basque, Catalan, Flemish and Alsatian Regional Languages Not Official Elsewhere: Breton, Corsican, Franco-Provençal, Occitan and the Langues d'oIl Revitalising the Regional Languages of France PART 3: THE REGIONAL LANGUAGES OF BRITAIN: GENERAL PRESENTATION The Regional Languages of England and Wales: Welsh and Cornish The Regional Languages of Scotland: Scottish Gaelic and Scots The Regional Languages of Northern Ireland: Irish and Ulster Scots Conclusion Bibliography Index index