Language Planning and Policy

Language Planning and Policy

history

• Language planning and policy was revitalized again mostly after the
newly independent states, in the post-colonial era, needed to
reconstruct their identity (including language) in a context of
multiethno-linguistic diverse populace
Why LPP?

Language planning and policy come to solve many problems and

conflicts in these states:
• Such as the multilingual geographical spread that may cause
miscommunication between people of the same nation
• Which language (s) is/are going to be selected and standardized as
the official language (s) of these states.
Every planned intervention by a subnational, national, or supranational
political organization which is directed toward the otherwise
unregulated development of a language or any of its varieties can be
regarded as an act of language planning and language policy.
• Language Planning :
• Language planning: deliberate efforts to influence the behavior of
others with respect to the acquisition, structure, or functional
allocation of their language codes
• language planning also called language engineering, refers to
deliberate efforts to influence the behavior of others with respect to
the acquisition, structure, of functional allocation of their language
codes' (Cooper, 1989, p 45)
• language policy : official policies resulting from language planning
and imposed in a deliberate attempt to influence language behavior
by means of official codes.
Language Planning Principles:
1. Assimilation: This principle states that every person within society

should be fluent in that society’s dominant language. For example: In
the USA, the “Only-English Movement” maintains that everyone in the
US should speak English well, regardless of their first language.
2. Linguistic Pluralism
It is the opposite of assimilation. This principle teaches that it is better
to have multiple languages within society. For example: Switzerland
with French, German, Italian and Romansh (all as official languages)
Singapore have English, Malay, Tamil and Chinese as official languages
3. Vernacularization
It is a principle that wants to restore a native language into a commonly
spoken language.
For example: Jews from around the world gathered in the so-called “Israel”
and revived the Hebrew language with success!
4. Internationalization
This principle promotes adopting a nonindigenous language in order to
communicate easily with other nations.
English now is considered to be global language, and is taught world wide.
Stages of Language Planning:
1.Selection: it refers to the choice of a language variety to fulfill certain

functions in a given society.
2. Codification
The creation of a linguistic standard or norm for a selected linguistic
code. It is divided up into three stages: 1) Graphization – developing a
writing system. 2) Grammaticalization – deciding on rules/norms of
grammar 3) Lexicalization – identifying the vocabulary
3. Implementation
Promoting the previous stages (selection, codification) by making
society more exposed to this language by: The production of books,
newspapers, education, administration... etc
4. Elaboration
The stylistic development of a codified language to meet the
communicative demands of modern life and technology
Levels of Language Planning:
Status Planning: • Refers to the social and political position a language

will be assigned • This level is done by the government officials • It
includes the “selection” and the “implementation” stages
For example:
In Quebec, Canada, politicians have raised the status of French by
ordering that signs must give French more prominence.
• Corpus Planning
Refers to changes or standardization of certain elements of the
language. E.g. Lexicon, orthography... This level includes “codification”
and “elaboration” And it is done by sociolinguist (linguists in general)
• Acquisition Planning
It is usually done by government officials or private organizations that
control textbooks and dictionaries... Etc
For example: Irish officials ordered that Irish Gaelic must be taught/
used at least one hour of school every day.

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Language Planning and Policy

Language planning and policy come to solve many problems and

1. Assimilation: This principle states that every person within society

1.Selection: it refers to the choice of a language variety to fulfill certain

Status Planning: • Refers to the social and political position a language

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