This book contains first-hand information on the history, economics, and politics surrounding literacy issues all over the world. Discussions are supported by case-studies of campaigns to promote vernacular languages, and examples of how people relate to their languages in different cultures. Providing a non-Western perspective, the contributors question traditional notions of the uses of literacy.

It is quite commonplace for bilingual speakers to use two or more languages, dialects or varieties in the same conversation, without any apparent effort. The phenomenon, known as code-switching, has become a major focus of attention in linguistics. This concise and original study explores how, when and where code-switching occurs. Drawing on a diverse range of examples from medieval manuscripts to rap music, novels to advertisements, emails to political speeches, and above all everyday conversation, it argues that code-switching can only be properly understood if we study it from a variety of...