Language Rights and the Law in the European Union, 1st ed. 2020

This book examines the language policies relating to linguistic rights in European Union law and in the constitutions and legal statutes of some European Union member states. In recent years, the European Union has seen an increase in claims for language recognition by minority groups representing a considerable population (such as Catalan in Spain and Welsh in the UK). Additionally, there is a developing situation surrounding the official use of English within the European Union in the aftermath of the Brexit vote. In light of these two contexts, this book focuses on the degree of legal protection afforded to linguistic groups in the European Union. It will be of interest to students and scholars of language policy, EU law, minority languages and sociolinguistics. 

Eduardo D. Faingold is Professor of Spanish and linguistics at the University of Tulsa, USA.

Discusses the historical, economic, educational and political contexts of language status and use within the European Union

Examines two European Union member states as case studies of minority language rights and linguistic policy

Analyses the capacity for EU law and EU member states to recognise and accommodate linguistic diversity