David Cassels Johnson, an assistant professor at the University of Iowa College of Education, has recently released a new book, Language Policy.

The book is an easily understandable resource for individuals interested in studying language policy. It explains critical theories, research methods and findings, while offering new ideas supported by empirical data collection on the topic.

Johnson’s field of sociolinguistics focuses on how linguistic diversity impacts educational opportunity for those who speak nonstandard and nondominant dialects and languages.

One major emphasis of Language Policy is the interaction between macro-level language policy and micro-level schools and communities.

“My particular area of research is language planning and policy because these processes shape educational access and opportunity for minority language users,” Cassels Johnson says.

Because the field of language policy is fairly new and still growing, there was a need for scholarly literature and especially book-length resources that cover the field as a whole.

“This is a masterful account of an important field of scholarly inquiry rendered in clear accessible prose,” says Tom Ricento, professor in the University of Calgary College of Education. “This is a major contribution to the field of language policy and planning and should be required reading for serious scholars and practitioners in the language sciences.”