Book excerpt: The ‘other’ languages of England — those which originate in South and East Asia, and Southern and Eastern Europe — are now important parts of everyday life in urban England. First published in 1985, this book gives detailed information about which languages are in widespread use among children and adults, patterns of language use in different social contexts, the teaching of these community languages inside and outside of mainstream schools, and the educational implications of this linguistic diversity for all children in England. They authors argue that this continued and widespread bilingualism is a valuable potential resource for both the speakers and society as a whole.