John Edwards is Senior Professor of Psychology at St Francis Xavier University, Canada.

• Prologue1. Language Origins and Language Diversity2. Interpreting Language Diversity3. The Emergence and Measurement of Multilingualism4. Dialects and Other Language Varieties5. Multilingual Abilities6. The Consequences of Babel: Lingua Francas and Translation7. Keeping Languages Pure8. Languages and Identities9. Language Decline and Revival: Basic Factors10. Language Decline and Revival: Advocacy and Activism11. Language Planning and the Ecology of Language12. Postmodern PerspectivesEpilogueBibliographyIndex

"Divided into 10 chapters on themes such as language diversity, multilingualism, bridging means across languages, language survival and intervention, this is the most readable textbook I have ever come across... This seemingly light yet profoundly rich book, with its span across the entire language diversity scene, cannot fail to spark enthusiasm... Its apparent simplicity, clarity and colourful asides make it an unforgettable reading experience."