Multilingualisms vary. Given such variation, how can those from essentially monochromatic, monolingual backgrounds begin to appreciate the colorful multilingual realities of the majority world? This question led to the symposium Language and Identity in a Multilingual, Migrating World, May 10-15, 2018, in Penang, Malaysia. This resulting four-part collection of papers:
- focuses on different models for understanding the dynamics of multiples-multiple languages, multiple identities, and the relationship between the two
- looks at varying social and geographic contexts of multilingualism, including urban, diaspora, refugee, and cross-border settings
- examines the history and adequacy of the term "heart language" as it has come to be used especially by organizations and practitioners of Bible translation in the West
- describes a range of multilingual situations in South Asia, Central Asia, Europe, Madagascar, and Africa
The concluding chapter seeks to build on the contributions of the overall symposium by suggesting a research agenda for furthering our understanding of language and identity in our multilingual, migrating world.
