Bernard Spolsky je popredný odborník v oblasti aplikovanej lingvistiky, ktorý sa zameriava na štúdium osvojovania druhého jazyka a jazykovú politiku. Jeho práca sa hlboko ponára do podmienok, ktoré uľahčujú učenie sa cudzím jazykom, a skúma sociolingvistické aspekty jazykového rozvoja. Spolskyho výskum prispieva k lepšiemu pochopeniu toho, ako jednotlivci a spoločnosti interagujú s jazykom. Jeho publikácie pod vedením popredných univerzitných vydavateľstiev ponúkajú cenné poznatky pre lingvistov aj pedagógov.
Sociolinguistics is the study of the different ways in which different groups of people use language. This book provides a brief but comprehensive introduction to the field, making links with related disciplines such as history, politics, and gender studies.
Over the last 50 years, language policy has developed into a major discipline, drawing on research and practice in many nations and at many levels. This is the first Handbook to deal with language policy as a whole and is a complete 'state-of-the-field' survey, covering language practices, beliefs about language varieties, and methods and agencies for language management. It provides a historical background which traces the development of classical language planning, describes activities associated with indigenous and endangered languages, and contains chapters on imperialism, colonialism, effects of migration and globalization, and educational policy. It also evaluates language management agencies, analyzes language activism and looks at language cultivation (including reform of writing systems, orthography and modernized terminology). The definitive guide to the subject, it will be welcomed by students, researchers and language professionals in linguistics, education and politics.