Michael Herriman & Barbara Burnaby (eds.), Language policies in English-dominant countries: Six case studies. (Language and education library, 10.) Clevedon (UK) & Philadelphia: Multilingual Matters, 1996. Pp. ix, 244. Hb £49.00, $99.00; pb £19.95, $39.95.

Abstract

This book presents six useful and very informative papers on countries in which English either is the single dominant language or assumes the role of a major language alongside others. The first category of countries includes Australia (discussed by Michael Herriman), Britain (Linda Thompson et al.) and the US (Thomas Ricento). The latter category includes South Africa, now notable for its eleven-language policy (Stanley Ridge) and Canada (Barbara Burnaby), where French has become a major competitor in the sociolinguistic field. New Zealand (Richard Benton) takes a kind of middle position as a predominantly English-speaking country in which Maori has become an official language.