The Sociolinguistics of Globalization: Standardization and Localization in the Context of Change

Linguistically, globalization has given rise to both homogenization and differentiation. Imperial conquest and standardization in the European nation-building tradition led to the spread of dominant languages and varieties and the creation of sometimes artificial linguistic boundaries. Standardization associated with nation-building continues, alongside new modes of standardization associated with capitalism. However, the factors that can lead to the reduction of diversity can also lead to its growth. The review sketches processes of linguistic localization associated with political change, tourism, migration and urbanization, and regional identification, and concludes with a detailed look at mechanisms and effects of standardization and localization in the history of Pittsburgh speech.