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Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Minority Languages and Communities ((PSMLC))

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Abstract

English emerged as an official national language by using the same devices as French, namely imposing English in all spheres of life, either by force or through the law, and by spreading English through the medium of education. But unlike in France, where the same policies applied throughout the country, they differed from region to region, with levels of coercion varying according to the levels of resistance encountered in situ. Religion also played a part, with voluntary conversion to the Church of England helping the survival of the RLs. This was the case in Wales, whereas the opposite applied in Cornwall.

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© 2007 Anne Judge

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Judge, A. (2007). The Rise of English as an Official Language. In: Linguistic Policies and the Survival of Regional Languages in France and Britain. Palgrave Studies in Minority Languages and Communities. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230286177_4

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