Language policy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Many countries have a language policy designed to favour or discourage the use of a particular language or set of languages. Although nations historically have used language policies most often to promote one official language at the expense of others, many countries now have policies designed to protect and promote regional and ethnic languages whose viability is threatened.
[edit] Overview
The preservation of cultural and linguistic diversity in today's world is a major concern to many scientists, artists, writers, politicians, and leaders of linguistic communities. Up to one half of the 6000 languages currently spoken in the world are estimated to be in danger of disappearing during the 21st century. Many factors affect the existence and usage of any given human language, including the size of the native speaking population, its use in formal communication, and the geographical dispersion and the socio-economic weight of its speakers. National language policies can either mitigate or exacerbate the effects of some of these factors.
What follows below is one of many ways in which language policy laws can be categorized.
[edit] Assimilation policies
A policy of assimilation is one that uses measures to accelerate the downsizing of one or more linguistic minority group(s). The ultimate goal of such policies is to foster national unity inside a state (based on the idea that a single language in the country will favor that end).
Jurisdictions having such a policy:
Afghanistan - Burma - Indonesia - Iran - Iraq - Kosovo (Not a state; under United Nations protectorate and officially under sovereignty of Serbia) - Pakistan - Syria - Thailand - Turkey - Vietnam
[edit] Non-intervention policies
A policy of non-intervention consists in choosing to allow the normal rapport between the main linguistic group and the minorities evolve on its own. This almost invariably favours the dominant group. Sometimes, such policies are accompanied by administrative measures protecting certain minorities.
Jurisdictions having such a policy:
Angola - Argentina - Australia - Austria - Bangladesh - Benin - Burkina Faso - Chile - Congo-Kinshasa - Côte d'Ivoire - Cuba - Czech Republic - Dominica - Dominican Republic - Ecuador - Gabon - Ghana - Germany - Gibraltar - Guinea - Guyana - Northern Ireland - Jamaica - Japan - Liechtenstein - Mali - Nebraska - Nicaragua - Saint Kitts and Nevis - Saint Lucia - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - El Salvador - San Marino - Saudi Arabia - Senegal - United Kingdom - Uruguay - Venezuela - Vermont
[edit] Differentiated legal statute policies
A policy that recognizes a different legal statute for a given language usually aims at allowing the coexistence of multiple linguistic groups inside a state. Typically, the majority has all its linguistic rights secured and sometimes promoted while the minority or minorities are given special protection for their language.
Jurisdictions having such a policy:
Albania - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Bulgaria - California - China - Croatia - Estonia - European Council -Republic of Macedonia - Guatemala - Latvia - Lithuania - Manitoba - Ontario - Netherlands - New Mexico - Paraguay - Quebec - Portugal - Romania - Slovakia - Spain - Sweden - Wales - Yukon
[edit] Valorization of the official language policies
A policy favouring the official language is a policy of unilingualism. Sometimes, it favours the (or a) national language, sometime it favours a colonial language with a strong influence internationally. In some cases, such policies are accompanied by measures recognizing and protecting minority languages or indigenous languages. This approach may be considered in two broadly different types of situations: where the official language is also the first language of the majority of the population, and where it is not.
Jurisdictions having such a policy:
Åland - Albania - Algeria - Andorra - Azerbaijan - Brazil - California - Cambodia - Colombia - Cyprus - Croatia - East Timor - Egypt - Estonia - France - India - Iran - Iceland - Israel - Italy - Japan - Kuwait - Latvia - Lebanon - Lithuania - Republic of Macedonia - Madagascar - Morocco - Mexico - Moldova - Montenegro - North Korea - Nepal - Peru - Poland - Quebec - Romania - Saint-Pierre and Miquelon - Slovakia - Slovenia - Somalia - South Korea - Tunisia - Ukraine - Uzbekistan - Vietnam - Voivodina
[edit] Sectorial Policies
[edit] Bilingualism or trilingualism policies
A policy favouring the two official languages is a policy of bilingualism. There are many different ways in which these policies can be applied.
[edit] Based on non-territorialized individual rights
A policy of bilingualism based on non-territorialized individual rights recognizes the same rights to all members of a community whatever their location on the national territory.
Belarus - Burundi - Canada - Central African Republic - Chad - Djibouti - Guam - Hong Kong - Ireland - Kenya - Kiribati - Malta - Nauru - New Zealand - Northwest Territories - Norway - Nunavut - Rwanda - Samoa - South Africa - Tanzania - Tonga - Tuvalu
[edit] Based on territorialized individual rights
A language policy based on territorialized individual rights recognizes the same rights to all members of a community within a specific region.
Aosta Valley - Balearic Islands - Basque Country - Brandenburg - Brittany - Catalonia - Channel Islands - Corsica - Faroe - Finland - Friuli Venezia Giulia - Galicia - Hawaii - Isle of Man - Micronesia - Navarre - Northern Ireland - Nicaragua - Sardinia - Scotland - Sicily - Sind - Slovenia (Istria and Prekmurje)- Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol - Wales
[edit] Based on territorial rights
Belgium - Cameroon - Fribourg - Grisons - Switzerland - Ticino - Valais
[edit] Strategic multilingualism policies
[edit] Based on non-territorialized individual rights
A policy of multilingualism based on non-territorialized individual rights recognizes the same rights to all members of a community whatever their location on the national territory.
[edit] Linguistic internationalization policies
[edit] Mixed linguistic policies
[edit] Language boards
- List of language regulators
- Bòrd na Gàidhlig
- Dutch Language Union
- Foras na Gaeilge
- Office québécois de la langue française
- Welsh Language Board
[edit] See also
- Language politics
- Cultural hegemony
- Language Movement
- Language planning
- Language reform
- Language revival
- Language tax
- Linguicide
- Official script
- Regional language
- International Mother Language Day
- Directions of language policies:
- Some case studies:
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- Croatia: Croatian linguistic purism
- Finland: Finland's language strife
- France: Language policy in France
- Germany: Germanization
- Poland: Polonization
- Spain: Language politics in Francoist Spain
- Former Soviet Union: Russification, Ukrainianization, Education in the Soviet Union
- Pakistan:Language Policy of Pakistan
- United Kingdom: Welsh Not
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[edit] Source
- Primary source of information: Leclerc, Jacques. "Index par politiques linguistiques" in L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde, Québec, TLFQ, Université Laval, December 2003 [1] (in French).
