The Politics of Language in the Spanish-Speaking World - Clare Mar-Molinero

Spanish is now the third most widely spoken language in the world after English and Chinese. This book traces how and why Spanish has arrived at this position, examining its role in the diverse societies where it is spoken from
Europe to the Americas. Providing a comprehensive survey of
language issues in the Spanish-speaking world, the book outlines the historical roots of the emergence of Spanish or Castilian as the dominant language, analyzes the situation of minority language groups, and traces the role of Spanish and
its colonial heritage in Latin America. The book is structured in four sections:
Spanish as a national language: conflict and hegemony
Legislation and the realities of linguistic diversity
Language and education
The future of Spanish. Throughout the book Clare Mar-Molinero asks probing questions such as: How does language relate to power? What is its link with identity? What is the role of language in nation-building? Who decides how language is taught?