Language Problems and Language Planning - Current Issue

Abstract

The article presents the criteria employed in distinguishing languages and, within the framework of structuralist and sociolinguistic perspectives, delves into the role of identification criteria in the context of the Croatian language. Through a critical analysis of the interpretation of various criteria in Croatian linguistics, the article uncovers the issue of arbitrariness in language differentiation. The author asserts that, as a product of society, language cannot exist without its specific cultural context and, therefore, concurs with the thesis that language is inevitably influenced by politics. Within the scope of the Croatian language, the article examines several differentiation criteria, including structural, genetic, standardization, mutual intelligibility, and, notably, the identification criterion. The latter appears to be the least ambiguous, aligning with the principle that a language belongs to the entire community of its speakers. However, practical application raises certain challenges.

Abstract

This article proposes an application of the capability approach (CA) within linguistic justice, adopting a capability-based approach. The aim is to break down the concept into language-based capabilities associated with public goods, which can be evaluated through qualitative or quantitative methods, aligning with policy cycle models. The objective is to deconstruct the abstract notion of linguistic justice into manageable components, namely language-based capabilities, making it amenable to scrutiny through policy analysis. Language-based capabilities are capabilities linked to public goods and services that inherently require a language for conversion into functioning. The state plays a crucial role as a conversion enabler through fair and effective language policies. This breakdown into language-based capabilities facilitates the identification of individual strategies, making the evaluation of language policies easier. Such an approach enables an examination of the policymaking process, including its efficacy, shortcomings, and opportunities for improvement. The ultimate goal is to translate a highly normative approach into an operational definition, further breaking it down into measurable indicators, thereby advancing the field.

Abstract

The Indigenous language of ANZ, Māori is undergoing significant revitalisation, following severe loss of vitality caused by English colonialism. One dimension to this revitalisation is the normalising of borrowings from Māori into New Zealand English (NZE). However, there are currently no empirical studies of adults’ naming patterns for concepts that can be lexicalised by Māori words in NZE. We report on a picture-naming experiment in which 48 participants are asked to name a set of target and control pictures depicting everyday concepts from three semantic categories which involve Māori borrowings: flora/fauna, people/places, material culture. Following a background questionnaire, we group participants into three categories, depending on their orientation towards Māori language and culture. Results suggest a clear association between participant orientation and their use of Māori loanwords. Alternative interpretations are discussed, including questions for future research on the relationship between NZE lexical variation and language planning.

Abstract

Linguistic landscapes, according to Backhaus (2009: 170), are “consciously shaped and controlled by official rules and regulations.” However, the current body of Philippine linguistic landscape research – under-studied as it already is – lacks a close examination of Philippine national laws governing the (re)production of public signage. This paper therefore investigates the linguistic and ideological underpinnings of select […] national sign laws by situating these not only within the context of their legal precedents, mandates, and history but also through an examination of 600 public signs collected from six diverse region centers in the Philippines. It examines how national laws prefer English in public signs over local and Indigenous languages, thereby perpetuating what Phillipson (1992) calls “English linguistic imperialism” and exacerbating the unequal power dynamics between those who speak English and those who do not in the Philippines.

This article reviews Gaelic in contemporary Scotland: the revitalisation of an endangered language

This article reviews The Language(s) of Politics: Multilingual Policy-Making in the European Union

This article reviews Linguistic Justice at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia

This article reviews Language management and its impact: The policies and practices of Confucius Institutes