Multilingualism Online

This is an accessible and comprehensive overview of multilingualism and multilingual practices on the internet. Topics range from language choice and code-switching, the construction of multilingual practices and identities online, minority languages, translating content and researching multilingual practices online. Detailed case studies from a number of languages and regions, including Chinese, Japanese, German and Spanish, and internet platforms, including email, chatrooms, and social media, provide invaluable illustration. By the co-author of Language Online, this is key reading for all students and researchers in the area of multilingualism and new media.

By the co-author of　Language Online, this book builds on the earlier work while focusing on multilingualism in the digital world. Drawing on a range of digital media – from email to chatrooms and social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube – Lee demonstrates how online multilingualism is　closely linked to people''s offline literacy practices and identities, and examines the ways in which　people draw on multilingual resources in their internet participation. Bringing together central concepts in sociolinguistics and internet linguistics, the eight chapters cover key issues such as:

• language choice
• code-switching
• identities
• language ideologies
• minority languages
• online translation.　

Examples in the book are drawn from both all the major languages and many lesser-written ones such as Chinese dialects, Egyptian Arabic, Irish, and Welsh. A chapter on methodology provides practical information for students and researchers interested in researching online multilingualism from a mixed methods and practice-based approach.

Multilingualism Online is key reading for all students and researchers in the area of multilingualism and new media, as well as those who want to know more about languages in the digital world.