An exploration of the impact of globalization on diverse cultures and how this effects the dominant languages across Asian civilisations.

The impact of globalization processes on language is an emergent field in sociolinguistics. To date there has not been an in-depth look at this in Asia, although Asia includes the two most populous globalizing economies of the world, India and China.

Covering the major themes in the field of globalization and language, this book will take a look at topics such as English emerging as the medium of instruction for subjects like mathematics and science. Another theme is the rise of Mandarin as a potentially 'global' language networking the Chinese diaspora. The cultural contexts of Asia, specifically the Sinic, Hindu and Islamic civililizations give the processes of globalization and language a unique dimension.

This book is suitable for researchers and postgraduate students in all fields of sociolinguistic enquiry.

"Vaish's volume explores the many and varied intersections between applied linguistics and globlalization studies. This methodologically and theoretically diverse set of papers take us into new territory, both geographically and conceptually, engaging the reader with novel data and new ways of asking old questions." - Kendall A. King, Associate Professor, Second Languages and Cultures, University of Minnesota, USA

“This timely collection of papers, focusing on an area of the world that continues to take center-stage in geopolitics, offers incisive analyses of how processes of globalization and transnationalism are experienced ‘on the ground.’ Viniti Vaish has succeeded in assembling a volume that offers fresh perspectives on the intersection of language with education, policy, culture, and technology across an impressive range of Asian polities.” - Francis M. Hult, University of Texas at San Antonio, USA