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Dr Ellen Smith-Dennis provides expert comment in Coventry Telegraph Article
A recent article from the Coventry Telegraph highlights a map showing the most popular languages spoken in Coventry. The article includes a comment from Associate Professor in Linguistics at the University of Warwick, Dr Ellen Smith-Dennis, who said: "Changes in speaker numbers may reflect changes in migration patterns in and out of the city, but they may also reflect language shift, which is a process whereby speakers change from using one language as their primary language of communication to using another language."
"Coventry is one of the most linguistically diverse regions in England; if we exclude London, then Coventry is the ninth most linguistically diverse county in England. This is something to be celebrated: a person maintaining their first language is important for cultural identity, well-being, community cohesion and social inclusion, and language skills have significant value in education, business and other sectors, and are consequently vital to economic growth.”