Heritage Languages in the Context of Language Conflict

Abstract

Language conflicts emerge when linguistic differences contribute to tensions or disputes between groups or, alternatively, when language use is instrumentalized as a weapon in the context of group tensions or disputes. Conversely, inclusive policies and robust respect for language rights can mitigate conflict by ensuring fair representation, access to resources, and recognition of linguistic diversity within social structures. In contexts of conflict especially, language policy is not only a function of the state but is also made and enforced by non-state actors, including insurgent organizations, separatist movements, religious authorities, schools, media institutions, and civil society groups. Taken together, the articles in this special issue point toward a broader disciplinary convergence between linguistics and political science, suggesting a new line of inquiry we have elsewhere called “language conflict studies” and, more broadly, “linguistic political science.”