This book demonstrates that language is not merely a critical component of human culture, but also the fundamental grounding of social existence itself.

Drawing on Alfred Schutz's phenomenological social psychology, Evandro Camara offers a detailed account of the linguistic experiences of newcomers as they find themselves thrown into an unfamiliar sociocultural environment.

Particular attention is given to the challenges of navigating new systems of meaning, communication, and social expectation, as well as the processes through which linguistic competence is gradually acquired. By examining the dynamics of the linguistic assimilation of strangers, this book also addresses the political dimensions of language use, especially within the context of dominant and minority group relations. In doing so, it illuminates broader questions of group-based inequality, showing how linguistic meanings shape patterns of inclusion, exclusion, power, and social recognition within the intersubjective world.