This collection offers a comprehensive exploration of the challenges faced by minoritized languages in an increasingly digitalized world. The volume amplifies the voices of diverse languages worldwide that face various forms of discrimination. Each chapter provides a case study focused on a specific language. The editors introduce the concept of digital flux, which refers to the blurred boundaries of time and space in physical and digital realms. Grounded in sociolinguistics, the volume explores themes revolving around language ideologies, education, and (in)accessibility.
Language ideologies feature in several contributions that zoom in on recognition and revitalization. Farah Ali (chapter 2) advocates for the official recognition of Arabic in Spain, emphasizing its marginalization and the need for its integration in Spanish society. Quentin Boitel (chapter 4) examines Náhuat in El Salvador, outlining both revitalization efforts and the ongoing challenges faced by the language. Enrico Torre (chapter 7) provides an in-depth analysis of the sociolinguistic context of Galician, a minoritized language in contact with two roof languages, Portuguese and Spanish, and underlines the complex sociolinguistic dynamics involving language policies, revitalization, and attitudes toward speakers. The chapter describes the role of neofalantes ‘new speakers’ in revitalizing Galician while addressing the negative attitudes they confront from native speakers, who often perceive their variety as less authentic.
A number of contributions focus on education, addressing the interplay between teaching materials and linguistic justice. Claudia Holguín Mendoza & Noelia Sánchez Walker (chapter 5) examine the instruction of Spanish as a foreign language in the US, pointing out the need to revise teaching materials to promote sociolinguistic justice and critical literacy, and to support bilingual Latinx students within an antiracist framework. Vicente Iranzo & Vicent Giner-Bosch (chapter 6) criticize the erasure of the term Valencian language in textbooks, contrasting with the treatment of other co-official Spanish languages—such as in Spanish or Galician, which are explicitly named. Ryan M. Bessett, Katherine Christoffersen, Ana M. Carvalho, Isabella Calafate, & Mayte Vega Mudy (chapter 11) propose an educational initiative to promote linguistic diversity through the development of community-based corpora, encouraging students to challenge prejudices against local stigmatized varieties, especially along the US-Mexico border.
Inaccessibility creates significant barriers to achieving linguistic justice and equity in multiple contexts. Ruochen Ning (chapter 3) examines how prejudices and limited educational resources contribute to linguistic inaccessibility, drawing on the experience of Chinese learners of Catalan. Jhonni Rochelle Charisse Carr & Ji Young Kim (chapter 10) further explore this theme in their analysis of the linguistic landscape of Koreatown in Los Angeles, revealing that public signage does not reflect the linguistic reality of the population. The authors thus call for greater linguistic equity in multiethnic spaces.
This volume not only raises awareness of the challenges faced by minoritized languages but also offers critical insights into their preservation. It underscores that no language is inherently minoritized; rather, it is the sociopolitical context that relegates a language to a disadvantaged position. This is exemplified by cases such as Spanish—a global language—which can still face discrimination in some contexts. This collection thus constitutes an invaluable resource for educators, researchers, and individuals interested in linguistic justice and the protection of minoritized languages.
