Multilingualism is a typical aspect of everyday life for most of the world's population it has
existed since the beginning of humanity and among individuals of all backgrounds. Nonetheless
it has often been treated as a variant of bilingualism or as a phenomenon unique to individual
areas of study. The purpose of this book is to review current knowledge about the acquisition
use and loss of multiple languages using a multidisciplinary perspective highlighting the
common themes and stimulating insights that can emerge when multilingualism is viewed from
different but related areas of investigation. The chapters focus on research evidence showing
that multilingualism is a complex phenomenon that involves a myriad of linguistic and
extra-linguistic forces and that should be studied in its own right as evidence of human
potential and capacity for language. The book is primarily addressed to students and scholars
interested in deepening their understanding of the different facets of multilingualism
including the individual and societal circumstances that contribute to it the cognitive and
neural mechanisms that make it possible and the dynamics involved in the acquisition use and
loss of multiple languages.
