Linguistic ecology and multilingual education

Abstract

The fiftieth anniversary of Haugen’s pioneering publication on the ecology of language provides an ideal opportunity to reflect on some of the promising new trends within recent research on multilingual education that centers linguistic ecology. The research explored in this article takes up linguistic ecology as a primary lens to understand a range of linguistic phenomena, particularly in contexts of dynamic change within the focus community. This article highlights three developments within linguistic ecology research over the last fifteen years that reflect the continuing relevance and contributions of this framework for multilingual education: (1) the focus on higher education, (2) translanguaging, and (3) rights and sustainability. The first section provides an overview of the defining aspects of linguistic ecology – its holism and dynamism – as well as foundational aspects of the ecology of language research in education and concludes with prospects for future research.