Language planning in society

1. Umm-e-Rooman Yaqoob
Roll # 3
B.S (English) 4th semester
“LANGUAGE PLANNING”
Language planning:
Language planningisa deliberate efforttoinfluence the function,structure,oracquisitionof languages
or language varietywithinaspeechcommunity.
It isoftenassociatedwithgovernmentplanning,butisalsousedbya varietyof non-governmental
organizations,suchasgrass-rootsorganizationsandevenindividuals.
The goals of language planningdifferdependingonthe nationor organization,butgenerally include
makingplanningdecisionsandpossiblychangesforthe benefitof communication.
Some specificideologiesare workingbehindlanguage planning.The bureaucrats, the government
officials,upperclass,landlordsare involvedinlanguage planningandtheytake the helpof linguistsand
lexicographers.
Definition:
“Language planningis governmentauthorized,longterm sustainedand
consciouseffortsto alter a language functionin a society for the purpose ofsolvingcommunication
problems” (Weinstein 1980 pg. 56)
Origin:
The term language planningwasintroducedbyAmericanlinguistlaterin1950s to 1960s. It is a
consciousefforttochange the linguisticbehaviourof society.Language policyissometimesusedfor
language planning,itisalanguage practice.
It happenedin1950s to 1960s that many nationsgotindependentinAfricaand Asiaandtheyfacedthe
problemthatwhichlanguage wouldbe official andthenconflictsstarts.
Process of language planning:
 Selection
One language isselectedamongmany.Andthatlanguage wouldbe selectedwhichwouldbe the
language of strongpeople.Itmaybe possible thatone language maybe selectedasofficialandone to
be selectedasnational

2.  Codification
Anothername of language iscodification.Dictionariesandbooksare printedinthatlanguage.
 Elaboration
Elaborationof that language byelectronicmedia,usingnewspapersandinschools.
 Acceptance
People speakthatlanguage togeta specificstatusinsociety
Language planning goals:
ElevenLanguage PlanningGoalshave beenrecognized(Nahir2003):
Language Purification– Prescriptionsof usage inorderto preserve the “linguisticpurity”of language,
protectlanguage fromforeigninfluences,andguardagainstlanguage deviationfromwithin.
Language Revival – The attemptto turn a language withfew orno survivingnative speakersbackintoa
normal meansof communication.
Language Reform – Deliberate change inspecificaspectsof language,like orthography,spelling,or
grammar, inorderto facilitate use.
Language Standardization – The attemptto garnerprestige fora regional language ordialect,
transformingitintoone thatis acceptedas the majorlanguage,orstandard language,of a region.
Language Spread – The attemptto increase the numberof speakersof one language atthe expenseof
another.
Lexical Modernization– Word creationor adaptation
TerminologyUnification– Developmentof unifiedterminologies,primarilyintechnical domains
StylisticSimplification– Simplificationof language usage inlexicon,grammar,andstyle.Thatincludes
modifyingthe use of language insocial andformal contexts.
Interlingual Communication – Facilitationof linguisticcommunicationbetweenmembersof distinct
speechcommunities.
Language Maintenance – Preservationof the use of a group’snative language asa firstor second
language where pressuresthreatenorcause adecline inthe statusof the language.
Auxiliary-Code Standardization– Standardizationof marginal,auxiliaryaspectsof language suchas
signsforthe deaf,place names,orrulesof transliterationandtranscription.

3. Types of language planning:
It isan umbrellaterm. Language planninghasbeen dividedintothree types:
Status planning:
o Statusplanningisthe allocationorreallocationof alanguage orvarietyto functional domains
withinasociety,thusaffectingthe status,orstanding,of a language.
o Changesthe functionof the language
o Changesthe varietiesof the language
o Changesthe rightsof the speakersof thatlanguage (status)
Status of language planning
As a resultof statusplanningfollowingthingsare seen:
 Official
 Jointofficial
 Regional official
 Promotedlanguage
 Toleratedlanguage
 Discouragedlanguage
Corpus language:
o Corpusplanningreferstothe prescriptiveinterventioninthe formsof a language,whereby
planningdecisionsare made toengineerchangesinthe structure of the language.
o Corpusplanningactivitiesoftenariseas the resultof beliefsaboutthe adequacyof the formof a
language toserve desiredfunctions.
o There are three traditionallyrecognizedtypesof corpusplanning:graphization,standardization,
and modernization.
o Seekstodevelop avarietyof languge oro language tostandardize it.
o It may involve suchmattersasthe developmentsof orthographs,new sourcesof vocabulary,
dictionaries,literature.Sothatthe language mayextends itsuse intosuchareasas government,
education andtrade.
Ideologies:
Cobarruubias (1983)
Has definedfourtypesof typical ideologiesthatmaymotivate actual decisionmakinginlanguage
planningina particularsociety.They are
Linguistic assimilation :

4. Believe thateveryone regardlessof original shouldlearnthe dominantlanguageof society.Itwasfirst
appliedin France.Andnowitis appliedinBritainandAmericansociety.
Linguistic pluralism:
The recognitionof more thanone language.Itcan take the varietyof almsBelgium, Africaand
Switzerlandare examples.
Vernacularization:
Restorationandelaborationof an indigenous language.Anditsadaptationasanofficial language
“ bhaais”in Indonesia,“Hebrew”in Israel.
Internationalism:
It isthe adaptationof non-indigenous language of weakercommunicationeitherasanofficial language
or for such purposesaseducationortrade e.gEnglishinSingapore, India,Pakistan.
Issues:
2 issuesare involvedwhenyoudolanguage planning.
Language rights:
Rightsof the people speakingotherlanguage change.
Right kind of data:
The availabilityof righttype of dataisverydifficulttoavail.