Language Problems and Language Planning - Volume 30, Issue 3, 2006

This paper tests the predictions of Bollack’s 1903 article against the now known reality of twenty-first-century French. While many of his claims are undoubtedly naïve, Bollack often proves an astute observer of spoken French, who merely underestimates resistance to change in the written language. Moreover, he identifies themes which were to dominate the mainstream linguistic agenda, and sets out principles of change which would influence commentators throughout the twentieth century. However, Bollack’s article must also be seen in the context of his ambitions for Bolak, his own invented language, the underlying principles of which are seen — often wrongly — to drive change in natural languages.

Language planning and policy in Catalonia has been a focus of much interest and discussion over the past three decades. In this article we go beyond issues of policy in order to examine what happens when an influential constituency in the linguistic landscape of Catalonia, namely advertisers, have a “free choice” as regards the language(s) which they use when advertising in a key site in the print media, that of El Periódico de Catalunya, one of the two biggest-selling newspapers in Catalonia. Uniquely this paper publishes daily “identical” versions in Castilian Spanish and in Catalan and this feature obliges advertisers to select from several sociolinguistic options as regards the language(s) in which their advertising is published. We were particularly interested in establishing whether any patterns of language choice appeared to dominate in this advertising and in identifying any links which might exist between the characteristics of the companies concerned, the types of products and services on offer and the linguistic choices made. The results of our study suggest that there is a tendency among many advertisers, particularly those of certain types of products which cross national boundaries and are associated with technological development and “modernity,” to use Castilian in both the Castilian and the Catalan versions of the newspaper.

Linguistic identities are double-edged swords because, while functioning in a positive and productive way to give people a sense of belonging, they do so by defining an “us” in opposition to a “them” that becomes all too easy to demonise. Studying the construction of identities is important precisely because it offers our best hope for helping to undo their negative impact, while at the same time providing deeper insight into the role languages play in our interpretation of who does or doesn’t belong to which particular group. Djité, in a recent article in this journal (2006), argues that, in our multilingual world, linguistic identities are not the monolithic entities which people often take them for, with the result that individuals get misinterpreted based on the way they speak, provoking prejudice and discrimination. This is also, contrary to what Djité suggests, one of the principal thrusts of Joseph’s book Language and Identity (2004). The present article summarises the relevant arguments made in this latter book and attempts to clarify points of agreement and disagreement with Djité.

The distribution of information is one of the key elements in maintaining an international community such as the Esperanto movement. This includes information about the language itself, appropriate to newcomers to the language and its community, as well as information regarding developments within the Esperanto community, and fiction, specialized literature and entertainment. This paper outlines some of the historical problems associated with the production, distribution and sales of both printed and electronic Esperanto-language materials. The large number of unknown and former students of Esperanto outside of the community’s (or movement’s) active core constitutes an element that may very well determine the profitability of publishing in Esperanto and, hence, its growth and degree of professionalism. Fortunately, recent trends in publishing, e.g. electronic publishing and online sales through established distribution channels, have the potential to include more of this diaspora in the exchange of information.