Babylon Center for Studies of Multilingualism in the Multicultural Society is a research center of Tilburg University. Its research program focuses on multilingualism (i.e. both Dutch AND minority languages) in the Netherlands as a result of processes of migration and minorization. Science-driven as well as society-driven considerations are the rationale for this focus. The multicultural character of Dutch society is clearly expressed in its linguistic diversity. Studying the interaction within and between different groups is especially relevant in the area of verbal communication. The main issues are:
-What types of language behavior occur in communication within and between different ethnolinguistic groups?
-How do dominant and dominated groups in a multicultural society value their own and each other’s language behavior?
-How do these types and valuations of language behavior change over time?