BA Linguistics and Japanese

This course introduces students to a range of approaches within the field of language policy and planning in various settings. We will examine various notions of what language policy consists of, how it operates and its historical roots, focusing on three main components of language policy and planning: (1) actual practice, (2) beliefs and values and (3) language management. Different institutional frameworks (such as education, local, national and international governance) as well as bottom-up and top-down approaches to language policy and planning will be critically discussed drawing examples from a range of micro and macro contexts. Throughout the course students will develop a critical understanding of the relationship between language rights, nationalism, standardisation, ideology, language endangerment and revitalisation. This course overlaps in content with LELA30292 Language Contact and LELA31072 Language and Mediality.

Students will be able to address questions such as:

• How/why have policies emerged in various contexts?
• How have approaches to language policy and planning changed over time?
• What are the different ways in which language planning can take shape?
• How do attitudes and ideologies impact upon language behaviour?
• How do policies account for (or fail to account for) language rights?
• How do media facilitate change in language use in society?
• In what ways does language policymaking affect the teaching and learning of languages?
• What are the differences between instrumental and integrative motivations in language planning?
• How do language-as-right and language-as-resource orientations in language planning impact on endangered languages?
• How do language policies help to determine which language variety is sanctioned for use in society?
• How can the “success” of a language policy be established?

Lecture 1: What is Language Policy & Planning?

Lecture 2: The emergence of standard languages

Lecture 3: Language standardisation

Lecture 4: Language planning in ex-colonies

Lecture 5: Language and education policy

Lecture 6: Language attitudes and ideologies

Lecture 7: Language endangerment and revitalisation

Lecture 8: Linguistic rights

Lecture 9: Language and globalisation

Lecture 10: Case study - language policy for Romani

Lecture 11: Revision and essay writing

• 1 weekly 2 hours lecture
• 1 weekly 1 hour seminar
• Blackboard discussion forum
• Revision materials made available on Blackboard

• Identify and apply appropriate methodological approaches to complex datasets 
• Understand the relevance of language policy research within the field of socio-linguistics
• Critically understand policies in international contexts
• Understand the social, cultural and ideological properties of language planning

• Engage in independent reflection and enquiry
• Engage in the discussion and critical evaluation of theories and approaches within this area
• Critically evaluate empirical claims in different contexts by drawing on theory and methods
• Use empirical evidence to support synthetic conclusions and interpretations

• Extrapolate patterns from complex data sets and (where necessary) propose theories of social and linguistic behaviour to account for them 
• Critically analyse and evaluate language policies and planning efforts
• Undertake analyses of language policy and planning and communicate findings to a diverse audience
• Apply findings of academic research to practical issues and problems

• Understand issues of citizenship and rights and how these pertain to language policy and planning
• Draw on academic research to make effective practical recommendations for policy 
• Investigate how considerations of language policy are applicable to teaching and learning 
• Use the theories and methods of language policy, planning, and attitudes in other areas of socio-linguistic research

RE-SIT ASSESSMENT

Fishman, J. A. (2006) Language loyalty, language planning and language revitalization. Multilingual Matters.

Haugen, E. (1966) Dialect, Language, Nation. American anthropologist, 68, 922-935.

Haugen, E. (1972) National and international languages. IN Haugen, E. (Ed.) The Ecology of Language. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Kaplan, R. B. & Baldauf, R. B. (1997) Language planning from practice to theory. Clavedon: Multilingual Matters.

Koenig, M. & de Varennes, F. (Eds.) (2001) Lesser used languages and the law in Europe. IJMS: International Journal on Multicultural Societies 3:1, UNESCO http://www.unesco.org/shs/ijms/vol3/issue1.

Matras, Y. (2004) The future of Romani: toward a policy of linguistic pluralism. Roma Rights Quarterly, 1:31-44 http://romani.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/downloads/2/Matras_Pluralism.pdf.

Skutnabb-Kangas, T. & Phillipson, R. (1995) Linguistic human rights: overcoming linguistic discrimination. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

Wright, S. (2004) Language policy and language planning. From nationalism to globalisation. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.