This book is an original and comprehensive treatment of the languages of Israel - of the practice and of the ideology. Against the background of an original theory of language policy set out in the opening, it asks about the extent to which the present linguistic pattern may be attributed to explicit language planning activities. The chapters give balanced analyses of the history and current status of the revitalized national language Hebrew, of the second official language Arabic, of the all-pervasive international language English, of the large number of immigrant languages brought to Israel, and in particular of the fate of the many Jewish languages. This is all tied together with a reasoned account of the new language education policy, and a consideration of the likelihood that the long hegemony of Hebrew is giving way to an evolving acceptance of linguistic diversity.

The Power of Tests applies a critical perspective of language tests by examining their uses and consequences in education and society and by viewing tests not as isolated events but rather as embedded in social, educational and political contexts.

Multilingual policies are increasingly important and required in educational settings worldwide, yet there lacks a solid experimental body of theory, research and practice, providing guidance for the development of policies. The Israeli context presented in this book serves as a case study or a model that could be used by bodies or entities seeking to devise a multilingual policy. Divided into three parts, the authors begin by addressing the general notion of a multilingual education policy with specific reference to the Israeli context. The book then focuses on specific challenges confronting the new policy that have been explored in empirical studies and concludes with a proposed framework for a new multilingual education policy related to the core theoretical topics and empirical findings discussed in the previous chapters. This framework includes principles and strategies for implementing the process described in the book in other contexts, ensuring wide applicability and relevance. Expanding Multilingual Education Policies: Theory, Research, Practice is an essential read for all involved in language policy and planning within Applied linguistics and education.

Multilingual policies are increasingly important and required in educational settings worldwide, yet there lacks a solid experimental body of theory, research and practice, providing guidance for the development of policies. The Israeli context presented in this book serves as a case study or a model that could be used by bodies or entities seeking to devise a multilingual policy. Divided into three parts, the authors begin by addressing the general notion of a multilingual education policy with specific reference to the Israeli context. The book then focuses on specific challenges confronting the new policy that have been explored in empirical studies and concludes with a proposed framework for a new multilingual education policy related to the core theoretical topics and empirical findings discussed in the previous chapters. This framework includes principles and strategies for implementing the process described in the book in other contexts, ensuring wide applicability and relevance. Expanding Multilingual Education Policies: Theory, Research, Practice is an essential read for all involved in language policy and planning within Applied linguistics and education.

This book focuses on linguistic landscapes in present-day urban settings. In a wide-ranging collection of studies of major world cities, the authors investigate both the forces that shape linguistic landscape and the impact of the linguistic landscape on the wider social and cultural reality. Not only does the book offer a wealth of case studies and comparisons to complement existing publications on linguistic landscape, but the editors aim to investigate the nature of a field of study which is characterised by its interest in 'ordered disorder'. The editors aspire to delve into linguistic landscape beyond its appearance as a jungle of jumbled and irregular items by focusing on the variations in linguistic landscape configurations and recognising that it is but one more field of the shaping of social reality under diverse, uncoordinated and possibly incongruent structuration principles.

Language in Social Life is a major series which highlights the importance of language to an understanding of issues of social and professional concern. It will be of practical relevance to all those wanting to understand how the ways we communicate both influence and are influenced by the structures and forces of contemporary social institutions. In all modern societies individuals are subject to tests, whether to enter educational programs, to pass from one level to the next or to grant certificates to practice. Yet, tests are powerful tools which are often introduced in undemocratic and unethical ways as disciplinary tools for carrying out various policy agendas. Tests can be detrimental to people's lives as they are capable of affecting and defining the knowledge and behaviour of those who are being tested. The Power of Tests applies a critical perspective of language tests by examining their uses and consequences in education and society and by viewing tests not as isolated events but rather as embedded in social, educational and political contexts. The book is divided into four parts: the first part establishes the power of tests through echoing the voices of test takers, describing the features of the power of tests, and the temptations that tests offer to bureaucrats who use them for power and control. The second part reports on studies that provide empirical evidence about intentions and effects of a number of large scale language tests. The third part interprets the results by examining their consequences on education and society, arriving at a model of tests' use. The final section of the book offers strategies for controlling and minimising the misuses of tests by introducing the notion of Critical Language Testing which calls for the examination of the consequences and misuses of tests, monitoring of power and pointing to their unethical uses. It also provides a comprehensive discussion of the responsibilities of language testers, including a new Code of Ethics, as well as strategies for guarding and protecting the rights of test takers.

In this comprehensive and pioneering volume, language scholars from around the world examine the linguistic landscape from multiple perspectives - theoretical, methodological, and critical. Written by widely recognized experts, the articles in Linguistic Landscape: Expanding the Scenery analyze linguistic landscapes in a range of international contexts. Dozens of photographs illustrate the use of language in the environment - the words and images displayed and exposed in public spaces. Suitable for graduate or advanced undergraduate students in applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, and language policy studies, Linguistic Landscape is a vital contribution to a burgeoning field.

Policies concerning language use are increasingly tested in an age of frequent migration and cultural synthesis. With conflicting factors and changing political climates influencing the policy-makers, Elana Shohamy considers the effects that these policies have on the real people involved. Using examples from the US and UK, she shows how language policies are promoted and imposed, overtly and covertly, across different countries and in different contexts.

Concluding with arguments for a more democratic and open approach to language policy and planning, the final note is one of optimism, suggesting strategies for resistance to language attrition and ways to protect the linguistic rights of groups and individuals.

Policies concerning language use are increasingly tested in an age of frequent migration and cultural synthesis. With conflicting factors and changing political climates influencing the policy-makers, Elana Shohamy considers the effects that these policies have on the real people involved. Using examples from the US and UK, she shows how language policies are promoted and imposed, overtly and covertly, across different countries and in different contexts.

Concluding with arguments for a more democratic and open approach to language policy and planning, the final note is one of optimism, suggesting strategies for resistance to language attrition and ways to protect the linguistic rights of groups and individuals.

Table of Contents

Part 1 Part I Language, manipulations, policy; Chapter 1 Expanding language; Chapter 2 Manipulating languages; Chapter 3 Expanding language policy; Part 2 Part II Mechanisms affecting de facto language policies; Chapter 4 Rules and regulations; Chapter 5 Language education policies; Chapter 6 Language tests; Chapter 7 Language in the public space; Part 3 Part III Consequences and reactions; Chapter 8 Consequences; Chapter 9 Reactions; Epilogue: Language as a free commodity; Bibliography; Index;

In this comprehensive and pioneering volume, language scholars from around the world examine the "linguistic landscape" from multiple perspectives theoretical, methodological, and critical. Written by widely recognized experts, the articles in Linguistic Landscape analyze linguistic landscapes in a range of international contexts. Dozens of photographs illustrate the use of language in the environment the words and images displayed and exposed in public spaces. Suitable for graduate or advanced undergraduate students in applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, and language policy studies, Linguistic Landscape is a vital contribution to a burgeoning field.

This volume addresses the broad theme and specific topics associated with current thinking in the field of language testing and assessment. The volume offers *multiple perspectives on the 'what' (the 'trait') of languages, and the 'how' ('the method') of assessment *multiple approaches developed for assessment especially given the multiplicity of languages used by many diverse groups of learners in many different contexts *focus on the societal roles of language testers, their responsibility to be socially accountable and to ensure ethicality and professionalism *focus on language testing in multilingual and diverse contexts This is one of ten volumes of the Encyclopedia of Language and Education published by Springer. The Encyclopedia bears testimony to the dynamism and evolution of the language and education field, as it confronts the ever-burgeoning and irrepressible linguistic diversity and ongoing pressures and expectations placed on education around the world.