Multilingual Living: Explorations of Language and Subjectivity

How do bilingual and multilingual people think about themselves and their languages? What are the effects on family relationships of living in several languages? How does language shape our thoughts and feelings and the way we see ourselves? "Multilingual Living" presents speakers' own accounts of the challenges and advantages of living in several languages at individual, family and societal levels. Individuals note profound differences in their sense of themselves, their relationships and their parenting, depending on which language they use - their experience highlights the interlinking of language, subjectivity and identity construction. The author further considers effects of the hierarchy of languages and power relationships. The book provides rich interview material of considerable interest to sociolinguists, psychologists, sociologists and lay readers interested in language and identity and in the dynamics of bilingual and multilingual living.