12 ling 122 21 language planning and language policy

Ling 122: English as a World Language Language Planning & Language Policy Reading: Wiley Course Reader...  Language planning: deliberate efforts to influence the behavior of others wit

Ling 122: English as a World

Language

Language Planning &

Language Policy

Reading: Wiley (Course Reader)

‘English for the Children’ (Prop 227)

 Debate

 Be it resolved that immigrant

parents in the US should encourage

their children to learn the language

of the land as fast as possible, and

parents should speak English with

them at home.

 Language planning: deliberate efforts to influence the behavior of others with

respect to the acquisition, structure, or

functional allocation of their language

codes

 Language policy: official policies resulting from language planning and imposed in a deliberate attempt to influence language behavior by means of official codes

Types of Language Planning

 Corpus planning: activities such as

coining new terms, reforming spelling

and adopting a new script;

• the creation of new forms,

• the modification of old ones, or

• the selection from alternative forms in

a spoken or written code

Types of Language Planning

 Status Planning: the recognition by a national government of the importance

or position of one language in relation

to others.

• The allocation of languages or language

varieties to given functions

 Medium of instruction

 Official language

 Vehicle of mass communication

 Language of international communication

 Etc.

Types of Language Planning

 Acquisition Planning: planning

directed toward increasing the

number of users – speakers, writers, listeners, readers – of a language

• Literacy education

• Second & foreign language education

efforts

Language Planning as Problem Solving

 Overt & covert goals

 Linguistic goals

Language Policy

& Planning in the U.S.

 The founders of the U.S chose not to

designate English as the official language

• Dominance of English was self-evident

• Respect for linguistic diversity & minority rights

• Support for minorities who supported the

revolution

 English has functioned as if it were the official language

History of the Status of English in

the U.S.

 British Colonial Period to 1789

• English dominant among European languages

• Other immigrant languages tolerated

 Missionaries attempted to promote English

 1775 – Continental Congress allocated funds for Indian education - pacification

History of the Status of English in

History of the Status of English in

the U.S.

• Height of US imperialism (Hawai’i, Philippines,

Puerto Rico)

• Attempts at language restriction

• Height of immigration through 1920s

• WWI: restrictions on use of German & other

European languages in schools

• Meyer v Nebraska: SC ruled against an

English-only restriction on the use of foreign

languages in Nebraska schools, but affirmed the state’s right to mandate that English be the

common & official language of instruction

History of the Status of English in

the U.S.

 World War II – present

• Civil rights movement influenced language policy

– provisions made for other languages in voting, education

• 1974 – Lau v Nichols – Supreme Court

acknowledged that school had to provide

proactive means of education

 Lau remedies

 ESEA Title VII Bilingual Education Act

Bilingual Education Types

• Purpose: to develop an appreciation for & fluency

in the heritage language

• Purpose: to develop 2nd language proficiency

among mainstream students & to maintain &

develop first language proficiency among minority students

ESEA Title VII – The Bilingual Education Act

 Grants to school districts for

implementation of transitional bilingual programs (basic grants)

 Grants to IHEs for training teachers

 Grants to materials development

centers to produce bilingual teaching

materials

 Grants to Bilingual Education Service

Centers to provide technical assistance

Problems with ESEA Title VII

• Notions of the role of government (local,

state, federal) in education

The English-Only Movement &

U.S English

 Since 1980s – reaction against linguistic accommodations

• 1981: S.I Hayakawa introduced constitutional

amendment to make English the official

language of the U.S

• ‘U.S English’ formed to raise funds to promote

English-Only amendments at both state and

national levels

The English-Plus Movement

Criticisms of English-Only

 English-Only Movement & U.S English

• Ignore the civil rights traditions in the US

• Fail to promote the integration of

language-minority children

• Neglect the need for American business to

communicate with foreign markets

• Restrict government’s ability to reach all citizens

• Attempt to disenfranchise minority citizens

• Promote divisiveness and hostility toward those

whose 1st language is not English

California Propositions

 1986: Proposition 63 declared English

as sole official language of California

 Propsition 187 attempted to limit

benefits for undocumented immigrants

 Proposition 209 sought to end

affirmative action programs for

underrepresented minorities

 1998: ‘English for the Children’ (Prop 227)

‘English for the Children’ (Prop 227)

 Rationale

• English is the language of opportunity –

dominates science, business, technology

• Immigrant parents want their children to learn

English

• Schools have a moral obligation to teach English

• For the previous two decades, CA school have

performed poorly in educating immigrant

children, - high drop-out rates

• Young children acquire 2nd languages easily

‘English for the Children’ (Prop 227)

 Since 227, several issues have posed

major challenges for schools & parents:

• It imposes English-Only instruction which is

normally 180 days of specially designed

instruction in English

• It doesn’t allow bilingual education, unless

language-minority parents request a waiver

from English-only instruction and request

bilingual education

 But still no guarantee they will receive it

Some Current Language Policy

Issues in the U.S.

the existence of other languages?

disadvantaged by policies involving language rights, accommodations, or restrictions?

intergenerational language shift to English?

affected by these language policies?

the English-speaking majority?