Even a cursory look at conference programs and proceedings reveals a burgeoning interest in the
field of social and affective factors in home language maintenance and development. To date
however research on this topic has been published in piecemeal fashion subsumed under the
more general umbrella of 'bilingualism'. Within bilingualism research there has been an
extensive exploration of linguistic and psycholinguistic perspectives on the one hand and
educational practices and outcomes on the other. In comparison social and affective factors -
which lead people to either maintain or shift the language - have been under-researched. This
is the first volume that brings together the different strands in research on social and
affective factors in home language maintenance and development ranging from the micro-level
(family language policies and practices) to the meso-level (community initiatives) and the
macro-level (mainstream educational policies and their implementation). The volume showcases a
wide distribution across contexts and populations explored. Contributors from around the world
represent different research paradigms and perspectives providing a rounded overview of the
state-of-the-art in this flourishing field.
