The role of linguistic theory in a national language policy

1982 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-57
Author(s):  
Ray Cattell
Keyword(s):  
Language Policy ◽  
Linguistic Theory ◽  
National Language ◽  
National Language Policy

The role of World War II in the development of Luxembourgish as a national language

2009 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Wagner ◽  
Winifred V. Davies
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
Theoretical Approach ◽  
Final Section ◽  
Present Situation ◽  
Language Choice ◽  
Interview Data ◽  
National Language ◽  
World War

This paper explores the link between explicit Luxembourgish language policy and the actual practices as well as expressed attitudes of a group of speakers of Luxembourgish, with the aim of studying the role of World War II in the advancement of Luxembourgish as Luxembourg’s national language. The first two sections introduce the theoretical approach of the paper and provide an overview of the history and present situation of Luxembourg and Luxembourgish. The following two sections present the findings of a sociolinguistic study of language choice, language values and identities, and linguistic (in)security among a group of Luxembourgish letter-writers, as well as recent interview data provided by the sole surviving correspondent. The final section brings together these results and the claims made regarding the role of World War II in the changing status of Luxembourgish and points out the complexity of this discussion.

National Policy on Languages: A Community Language Perspective

1986 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Smolicz
Keyword(s):  
Language Policy ◽  
National Policy ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Historical Review ◽  
National Language ◽  
Committee Report ◽  
Linguistic Rights ◽  
Minority Ethnic Groups ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
National Language Policy

A brief historical review of language policies in Australia up to the publication of the Senate Standing Committee's Report on a National Language Policy in 1984 is given. The recommendations of the Report are discussed in the light of the ethno-cultural or core value significance that community languages have for many minority ethnic groups in Australia. Recent research findings on such languages are presented and their implications for a national language policy considered. It is postulated that the linguistic pluralism generated by the presence of community languages needs to be viewed in the context of a framework of values that includes English as the shared language for all Australians. From this perspective, it is argued that the stress that the Senate Committee Report places upon the centrality of English in Australia should be balanced by greater recognition of the linguistic rights of minorities and their implications for bilingual education. It is pointed out that both these aspects of language policy have been given prominence in recent statements and guidelines released by the Ministers of Education in Victoria and South Australia. The paper concludes by pointing to the growing interest in the teaching of languages other than English to all children in Australian schools.

De Nederlandse taal als luxe-waar op de Surinaamse markt?

1979 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 137-154
Author(s):  
Hugo W. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Language Policy ◽  
Intermediate Stage ◽  
European Population ◽  
National Language ◽  
Official Language ◽  
The Status ◽  
Dutch Language ◽  
The Government ◽  
Attitudinal Changes

In the multilingual community of Surinam the official language is Dutch. This language has occupied the official status during almost three centuries of colonial government, the intermediate stage of self-government (as part of the kingdom of the Netherlands from 1954 through 1975) and after complete independence in 1975. Though the status of official language did not change, a different language policy had to be adopted with respect to different role components in each of four historical periods. The language policy adopted in each of these periods can be considered the result of social changes which took place, and of attitudinal changes with respect to the functioning of other languages in the community. The changing role of the Dutch language in the four periods is discussed in terms of its changing socio-linguistic profile. The first change was that from an ethnic group specific position (the European population only) to an obligatory position which concerned the whole population. In each of these two periods Dutch was used in relation to all main functions (communication* education., religion and literature). During the period in which Dutch played the ethnic specific role the language Sranan was used as a promoted language to perform the same functions for the slave population of the 17th, 18th and 19th century. This language was also used as language of communication between the Europeans and the slaves. The social change from a slavery society to a society of citizens only had forced the governement to discourage the use of Sranan and to consider Dutch the only language in the country. This obligatory position was eventually disregarded in favor of a partial role of the Dutch language in a multicultural society. The recognition by the government of a multitude of cultural ambitions has led it to accept the possibility of the sharing of functions among languages. Especially with respect to intergroupcoinmunication and literature, the recognition-of the role of Sranan as national language became the main feature of this period. However, the emergency of Surinam-Dutch, as a variety (xized language) of the Dutch language used by the majority of the Dutch speaking community in Surinam, has given the governement of the new republic of Surinam an opportunity to promote cultural integration by means of this language variety. Though this too will have to share functions with Sranan (inter-group communication, literature, etc.), it is suggested that a stan-dardized version might not only change its promoted language status into that of national official language but also give a better criterion to judge and to stimulate performances in education and literature.

scholarly journals Implementation and acceptance of national language policy: the case of Dutch (1750–1850)

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-279
Author(s):  
Gijsbert Rutten ◽  
Andreas Krogull ◽  
Bob Schoemaker
Keyword(s):  
Language Policy ◽  
National Language ◽  
National Language Policy

University language policies and language choice among Ph.D. graduates in Estonia: The (unbalanced) interplay between English and Estonian

Multilingua ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (3-4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Josep Soler-Carbonell
Keyword(s):  
Language Policy ◽  
Academic Language ◽  
Language Choice ◽  
National Language ◽  
Language Policies ◽  
Discussion Section ◽  
Policy Documents ◽  
Global Language ◽  
A Site

AbstractThe role of English as a global language and its consequences for the internationalization of higher education are matters that have increasingly drawn the attention of researchers from different fields of language and communication. In this paper, an overview of the situation in Estonia is presented. The Estonian context has not previously been analyzed along these lines. The author suggests looking at Ph.D. dissertations as a site of tension between the need to effectively incorporate English as an academic language and the need to maintain Estonian as the national language. The article views this question in the context of some relevant language policy documents and other macro indicators. It then focuses on the number of Ph.D. dissertations defended at four main public universities in the last few years and the languages they have been written in. It appears that, although the language policy documents seem to correctly capture this tension between English and Estonian, the language most commonly used when writing dissertations is overwhelmingly English, with only the humanities providing some counterbalance to that trend. The current situation is different from that of past decades, when English was absent from Estonia’s scientific production and Estonian was significantly employed in that context, alongside Russian. In the discussion section, some lines for further inquiry are presented, together with a proposal for integrating complexity theory in such analyses.

National Language Policy in Education in Zaire

1984 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ungina Ndoma
Keyword(s):  
Language Policy ◽  
Present Article ◽  
National Language ◽  
Politique Linguistique ◽  
National Language Policy

SOMMAIRE Politique des langues nationales dans l'enseignement au Zaïre Définir une politique linguistique nationale en la situant dans ses relations avec les autres secteurs de la vie publique, plus particulièrement l'enseignement, telle est la préoccupation des linguistes zaïrois s'intéressant à la planification linguistique. Le présent article fait le point sur la situation de l'enseignement des langues nationales au Zaïre. Il souligne comme obstacle majeur l'absence d'une infrastructure adéquate pour la définition d'une politique globale de promotion des langues nationales. Dans un Zaïre en développement, il existe encore dans les mentalités des idées tenaces, pourtant fausses, qui semblent des évidences, mais qu'il faut déraciner. Ainsi l'on pense encore que seule une langue d'importation tel que le français peut être la solution neutre au problème du choix de la langue d'enseignement. Dans le cadre d'une réforme, il faut rompre avec un conformisme dépassé et non-fondé. Il est indispensable de promouvoir une véritable politique des langues nationales zaïroises par une action concertée des décideurs, chercheurs, enseignants, organismes scientifiques, éditeurs et traducteurs. L'on doit consolider ce qui existe et prévoir l'ouverture d'un nouveau creneau. Mais ceci n'est réalisable que si une collaboration étroite est établie entre divers secteurs vitaux. Une action nouvelle de promotion linguistique doit, toutefois, tenir compte tant de moyens financiers disponibles que des structures socio-économiques existantes. Il doit également se développer une nouvelle conception des objectifs et des modalités d'enseignement des langues nationales. Assurément, bien d'autres voies restent à explorer compte tenu de la complexité du problème linguistique dans un contexte de diversité ethnolinguistique. RESUMO Nacilingva politiko en la zaira edukado Difini nacilingvan politikon kadre de la rilatoj al la aliaj sferoj de la publika vivo, aparte la edukado, j'en la preokupo de la zairaj lingvistoj, interesigantaj pri la lingvo-planado. La nuna artikolo rigardas la situacion de la instruado de la naciaj lingvoj, kaj per ili, en Zairio. La cefa barilo estas la manko de sufica infrastrukturo por difini generalan politikon de progresigo de la naciaj lingvoj. En la disvolviganta Zairio ankoraù ekzistas forte kredataj, sed tamen malveraj, ideoj. Ili sajnas memevidentaj, sed necesas forigi ilin. Tiele, oni ankoraù kredas, ke nur importita lingvo, kiel la franca, povas esti la neutrala solvo de la problemo de elekto de la instrulingvo. Kadre de reformo, necesas dis rompi ne plu aktualan, senbazan konformismon. Necesas realigi veran zairan nacilingvan politikon per kuna agado de decidantoj, esploristoj, instruistoj, sciencaj organoj, eldonistoj kaj tradukistoj. La nun ekzistantaj klopodoj devas esti fortigitaj kaj nova kadro starigita. Tio estas realigebla nur se oni starigos intiman kunlaboron inter diversaj gravaj sektoroj. Nova kampanjo de lingva progresigo, tamen, devas atenti kaj la disponeblajn financajn rimedojn kaj la ekzistantajn sociekonomiajn struktorojn. Gi devas krome nove koncepti la celojn kaj modojn de la instruado de la naciaj lingvoj kaj per ili. Certe restas multaj aliaj esplorindaj vojoj, vide al la komplikeco de la lingva problemo en kadro de etnolingva diverseco.

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