Explores parallel and divergent developments in language policy and language rights in the U.S. and Canada, especially the past 4 decades, as a basis for reflection on what can be learned from one country's experience by the other.
"Ricento and Burnaby offer a useful tool to policy makers to cut through the rhetoric of the 'English Only/English First' advocates, and the misconceptions on both sides of the border about the degree of success of bilingualism and multiculturalism in Canada...."This book is an outstanding contribution to the literature on language policy, language planning, and language rights. It provides a fascinating comparative treatment of developments related to issues of language and politics in the United States and Canada....The chapters are, without exception, well written and interesting."—Studies in Second Language Acquisition"Ricento and Burnaby offer a useful tool to policy makers to cut through the rhetoric of the 'English Only/English First'advocates, and the misconeptons on both sides of the border about the degree of success of bilingualism and multiculturalism in Canada....Language and Politics in the United States and Canada: Myths and Realities...is clearly a useful reference for graduate students, scholars, and policy makers."—TESL-EJ"This collection is first rate. It is the only collection I know that attempts a comparative analysis of language policy in the United States and Canada within a historical-structural framework....Its authors have detailed, up-to-date knowledge of the field, and are well grounded in research and relevant theory. The quality of scholarship is consistently high."—James W. TollefsonUniversity of Washington
