Language Planning and Policy in Latin America: Ecuador, Mexico, and Paraguay

Abstract

The latest volume in the Language Planning and Policy series, co-edited by Baldauf and Kaplan, deals with three Latin American countries, Ecuador, Mexico, and Paraguay, which, while not geographically close, do share several key factors in relation to their language situation and corresponding governmental policy. Previous books in this series on Africa, Asia, and Europe have dealt with similar issues of linguistic diversity and political context, yet the study of these Latin American countries offers the unique and distinguishing characteristic of one official language impacting three separate countries. The objective of these studies, and in fact the series, is to address roughly two-dozen questions that bring to light the nature of language in these countries. The editors organize the questions into four sections: language profile, language spread, language policy and planning, and language maintenance and prospects.