2008 Reviews

Minority Languages and Cultural Diversity in Europe: Gaelic and Sorbian Perspectives

Schwab, Ingrid

In her study of two minority languages in danger of extinction, Gaelic of Scotland and Sorbian of Lusatia, Glaser examines the ways in which perception of identity is linked to language in her book Minority Languages and Cultural Diversity in Europe. The author chose, to the readers’ benefit, to interview leaders of these cultures, whose geographical areas were previously underrepresented in other studies. The interviewees are part of the intellectual and political elite, who include, but are not limited to, members of Gaelic/Sorbian “societies, associations, and/or pressure groups” (p. 7). Consequently, these leaders are likely to shape the story of their people’s identity. By including direct quotations from her interviews (in both the language under consideration and an English translation), Glaser fully engages the reader in the complexities of linguistic and cultural shifts.