Glossary

Definitions for key terms related to bilingualism and multilingualism.

Photo by Thares2020 | Adobe Stock

Code-switching: The practice of alternating between two or more languages or dialects within a conversation or sentence. It is common among bilingual or multilingual individuals.

Majority language: A language spoken by the majority of the population in a country or region. It is typically the dominant language in public life, education, and media. (e.g. Spanish in Spain)

Minority language: A language spoken by a smaller group of people within a specific area or country. (e.g. Turkish in Germany)