Investigating current language policy in Alicante : a case study

A nyelvitájkép-kutatás a 90-es évektől kezdődően egyre nagyobb érdeklődést váltott ki a szociolingvisztikában. A nyelvi tájkép definíciója a Landry–Bourhis szerzőpárostól származik, ők használták ugyanis a kifejezést először a köztéren megjelenő feliratokra (kereskedelmi táblák, feliratok, helységnévtáblák, utcatáblák stb.). A tanulmány a nyelvitájkép-kutatás elméleti és módszertani alapjait tekinti át, a hangsúlyt a legutóbbi kutatásokra, a legmeghatározóbb megközelítésekre és kulcsfontosságú kérdésekre helyezve. Legfőképpen azért, mert az elmúlt két évtizedben a nyelvitájkép-kutatás felgyorsult, témájában kiszélesedett. A századforduló óta számos kutatási projekt és tanulmány foglalkozott az alkalmazott nyelvészet, a szociolingvisztika vagy a nyelvpolitika perspektívájából a témával, és mutatott egyre nagyobb érdeklődést – különösen két- és többnyelvű környezetben és szituációban – a különböző tereken található jelek és feliratok iránt. A kutatások interdiszciplináris megközelítést, különböző társtudományok bevonását igénylik (oktatás, közgazdaságtan, demográfia, geográfia, szemiotika stb.).

It is intended that this annotated bibliography be used as a stand-alone resource or in tandem with the related literature review about Language Planning and Policy: Factors that Impact on Successful Language Planning and Policy. A variety of literary sources, such as research reports and journal articles, are consulted in the bibliography. In order to give a summary of the main ideas and shared comprehension of the elements that influence successful language planning and policy, especially in relation to the revitalization of Indigenous and minority languages also upkeep. The goal was to find more modern works of literature, created about approaches and materials on language policy and planning (LPP). Although the literatures were based on the review’s body of work was expanded to include foundational works that addressed the major

The globalization of higher education has reshaped language use and practice on campus. As increasing numbers of international students change the campus into a more multilingual space, a variety of multilingual signs posted on bulletin boards and streets on campus become commonplace. Against such a backdrop of sociolinguistic changes on the globalizing campus in higher education, this study explores the ways in which multiple languages are chosen and used in South Korean higher education. Drawing on the framework of linguistic landscape, the present project analyzes multilingual signs displayed in public spaces of Konkuk University Glocal Campus, a local university that has pursued internationalization policies over the past decade. For this purpose, 208 public signs were collected from thirteen locations and analyzed in terms of language, producers, and communicative functions. The analysis reveals that a typical multilingual sign is in English and Korean and is created by the university authorities for referential functions. The most multilingual spaces are the library, a building for international education, and the dormitory, as these locations display various languages and language combinations. English is the most dominant foreign language in multilingual signage. Chinese and Vietnamese signs have begun to be increasingly present at KU, but their communicative functions are relatively limited. Based on such findings, implications for the university’s language and internationalization policies are also discussed.

No country in the world has changed its language policy – including the choice of alphabet – as frequently as the Soviet Union did. There were three main periods of alphabet change: the 1920s; the second part of the 1930s; and the last years of the USSR. The revolution set new goals – it expressed the need to transfer official communication from Russian into the languages of ethnic minorities, to create middle and higher education in them and so on. However, many languages were unwritten; the existing scripts of some other languages (traditional Arabic or Mongolian) were considered unacceptable. It was necessary to create new alphabets. After some hesitation, the Latin script was chosen as predominant in the world. More than 80 alphabets were constructed in the 1920s and '30s. However from 1935 to 1938 it was decided that all Soviet languages using the Latin alphabet would adopt Cyrillic. This Cyrillisation was completed in 1941, before the beginning of the war. The official slogans remained the same, but the spread of Russian and the Cyrillic script became a main task of Soviet language policy. This situation did not change until the 1980s when national movements in the USSR spoke out against Russian and the use of the Cyrillic script. After the disintegration of the USSR in 1991 and the formation of new states, the problem of alphabet choice became urgent. Latinisation was accomplished in Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Moldavia; it is planned in Kazakhstan and Kyrghyzstan. Some proposals to Latinise Russian have no practical significance.

Language policy, which is directly concerned with organizational operation, functions, and objectives, has become an increasingly important issue in international organizations (IOs). However, research on IOs’ language policies, especially exploration based on large-scale data, is rather limited. Using data from the Yearbook of International Organizations (2020–2021), this study explores how IOs select their languages. It is found that: (1) Federations of IOs and IGOs are more likely to choose languages other than English, whereas universal membership organizations and NGOs are much more likely to use English; (2) IOs headquartered in Western countries adopt more diverse languages than those in Asia, and those headquartered in developed countries are more prone to choose local language(s) than those in developing countries; (3) IOs with a longer history tend more towards multilingualism; (4) IOs dealing with religion, law, society, transportation, and communication are more inclined to be multilingual; and (5) IOs with individual members generally choose fewer languages than those with IO members. These findings reveal that IOs’ language management is shaped not only by internal and external organizational features, but also by the interactions between these features and language values.

<p>For decades the primary focus of language policy research has been activities by states and their agencies, while language policy activities in workplaces have attracted little attention. Addressing this gap, explicit and implicit dimensions of language policies are investigated in financial institutions operating in the globalised context of international banking in multilingual Luxembourg. Three complementary theoretical frameworks are used to extend language policy research to include not just explicit aspects of language policy (language policy statements), but also implicit aspects (the language practices and beliefs of a community). Spolsky's (2004) theory is used to identify and analyse three components of language policy (management, practices and beliefs); Language Management Theory (LMT) (Jernudd and Neustupny, 1987) is used to explore one specific component of language policy (management), and Shohamy's (2006) framework is used to explore the complex interaction between management, practices and beliefs. The data base for the study comprised two phases: the first phase involved interviews with managers in ten Luxembourg banks regarding language policy, followed in the second phase by questionnaires and focus-group discussions with employees from three case study banks regarding language use and beliefs. This empirical data suggests that even in banks where English has been formalised as the working language, multilingual mechanisms (recruitment and language courses) contribute to employees' practices effectively creating, a top-down multilingual implicit (de facto) policy. The data from international banks in Luxembourg suggests that a flexible approach to language management is useful in workplaces where communication is complex, multi-faceted and dynamic. The bottom-up perspective indicates that employees at international banks use English as a lingua franca (ELF) alongside other languages, negotiating language choice across speech communities and linguistic repertoires, for transactional and relational purposes. These multilingual employees highly value English as the most common language in banks for including and involving all, highlighting its vital role in banks. Because the data provides a strong argument for the consideration of both top down and bottom up perspectives, the results have theoretical significance for our understanding of language policy. Overall, this thesis provides insights into the complex nature of language policy in multilingual workplaces, including the importance of both top-down and bottom-up pressures on language practices, the crucial role of ELF and the relevance of attitudes towards ELF and other languages at local and global levels of management.</p>

The paper applies language management theory to study the interactions of international with local workers (simple management) and language policies (organised management) in 10 Czech video game studios. By longitudinally interviewing foreign game developers from Central-Eastern and Western Europe, as well as North and South America, I identified the languages they reportedly encountered and used in their jobs. I distinguished 3 categories: Czech-dominant studios, dominant language mix, and English-dominant studios. In the first category, the Czech language was said to be the language of studio communication and to serve as an instrument of exclusion and glass ceiling for internationals’ promotion. In the second category, language use divided between English, Czech, and other Slavic languages, resulting in more inclusionary work practices but, Slavic versus English linguistic clusters in informal communication. In the third category, English was the lingua franca but Czechs’ insufficient English proficiency was identified as an issue on the micro level. Overall, a dichotomous thinking about languages was problematised. While Czech as the dominant language was detrimental for the hiring of internationals, companies managed to include workers using Slavic languages other than Czech. Thus, English was not the only language of inclusion but a one of several language choices in Czech game companies.

Just as an expanded view of language policy now affords agency to many more actors across society than authorities and linguists alone, it also accepts that the dispositions these agents bring to language affairs influence language policy processes and outcomes. However, this paper makes the case that language policy may also be guided, to some degree, by what these societal agents of language policy claim to know as facts in linguistics, regardless of the empirical accuracy of their knowledge. Drawing on an analysis of qualitative data from folk linguistic research on Māori language revitalisation, the paper discusses instances of the policy ideas and discourses of a cohort of young New Zealanders relying on what they claimed as facts about revitalisation. By bringing a folk linguistic perspective to language policy theory, the paper argues that space should be made to accommodate the power of folk linguistic knowledge in language policy theory.

Student protests nationwide in the form of #FeesMustFall in South Africa between 2015 and 2016 catalyzed a national conversation on decolonization, inclusivity and linguistic transformation in higher education. This qualitative desktop review examines the evolution of linguistic practices in a South African university post-protests, focusing on the intersection of academic discourse and multilingual citizenship. This review is premised on Language Management Theory which endorses deliberate processes which seek to influence language behaviour among language users. Through an analysis of secondary sources, the study explores the implications of linguistic practices for epistemic justice, academy, and multilingual citizenship post #FeesMustFall demonstrations. The findings highlight the continued hegemony of English in communication, classroom interactions, and research. However, the university has taken steps to promote multilingualism by offering African language courses to first-year students in humanities and engineering programs. The institution also recognizes linguistic diversity as a valuable asset that empowers people in multicultural and multilingual settings. This review contributes to the ongoing discourse on language, power, and knowledge production in African higher education, providing insights for policymakers, educators, and language practitioners who are committed to creating inclusive and equitable academic spaces. Keywords:#Feemustfall Demonstration, Higher Education, Language Policy, Language Management, Multilingualism.

In these introductory remarks, the authors deal with the metaphors “top-down”, “bottom-up” and related concepts in the Language Policy and Planning research. Furthermore, they sketch out the position of Language Management Theory in this field of study and characterize “language management” in various research traditions. Afterward, the main features of Language Management Theory are presented with emphasis placed on the relationship between “simple” and “organized” language management. Finally, these features are illustrated on the individual contributions to this special issue.

The English teaching faculty at the authors' institution contains a wide range of teachers with varying ability and inclination to use Chinese in the classroom. Teachers and students alike differ on whether explanations should be offered in the mother tongue, and to what degree. The authors surveyed 708 students across 15 language lab sections in an effort to determine whether classroom language policy matters, and if so, what the direction of its influence should be. We found a preponderance of subjective student support for bilingual instruction, but very little evidence that it makes a positive contribution to graded student performance. In fact, the study found strong evidence that students' preference for mother-tongue explanation is associated with poor grade performance, but the students expressing this preference included both those not getting any L1 instruction and those at risk of becoming too dependent upon it. Examination on of individual teachers and classes did reveal a significant association between pure monolingual instruction and low grades, but also suggested that this could be due as much to correlated traits like overall pedagogic strictness as to language policy per se. Exactly what other teaching traits are most closely correlated with monolingual instruction, and how they influence student learning provides an interesting venue for further research.

Taking the Norwegian construction industry as its site of study, this article discusses under which conditions migrant workers in the Norwegian construction industry obtain the status as new speakers in the workplace. These conditions are determined by language proficiency requirements and speaker hierarchies that are constructed through language management at various institutional levels (legislation, industry and workplace). Moreover, the article highlights how language management in the construction industry ascribes linguistic competences, especially competences in the nation-state language Norwegian, with value. Ultimately, this value entails opportunities as well as challenges for the professional lives of migrant workers. The study uses an Ethnography of Language Policy approach combined with Foucauldian discourse analysis which emphasises discourses as social practices. Discourses of policy documents and recommendations are analysed and contextualised with workplace practices and workers’ accounts from three different Norwegian construction sites. The article contributes to the study of new speakers by providing insights into language management in a workplace dominated by multilingualism, migration, and temporariness.

Commercial transportation is strategic in national economy. It facilitates the mobility of material and human resources. In Nigeria, a significant number of commercial vehicles have inscriptions on different parts; an indicator that the labour force engaged in this sub sector has messages for the public. This study therefore examines language use, forms, popular themes and objectives of the writings, using tricycle, popularly known as keke as an example. Insights from Sociolinguistics and Systemic Functional Grammar conventions provide explanatory tools. Data on language use highlight current realities of Nigeria’s multilingualism – language dominance and shift. Data on language forms reflect short catchy names and expressions which relate to diverse issues – identity, aggressive stance towards opposition, personal philosophy. Information from the study indicates the intricate societal relationships that give impetus to this form of mass communication; trends in language usage in this domain add to language development and a study on language use and communicative needs of a group can assist in the understanding and development of that sector of the economy.

The present study provides an insight into foreign language policy endeavour in Algeria. It responds to the concept of an English ‘tidal wave’ (Spolsky [2004]. Language policy. Cambridge University Press), and uses Spolsky’s ([2009]. Language management. Cambridge University Press) social approach and Djité’s ([1994]. From language policy to language planning. National Languages and Literacy Institute of Australia) definition of language policy. The study is a qualitative research which relies on the contribution of 20 Algerian university students who are affiliated with eight Algerian universities, and on the researchers’ observations, social media pictures, videos, social media comments, and news outlet reports. The study concludes that there is a ‘seismic wave’ of English language (in terms of beliefs, practices and demands) amid the smile revolution protests (hirak) that will give rise to a future tidal wave of English based on the bottom-up involvement of participants in the policy-making process.

After Democratization, the long suppressed ethnic subcultures have been revitalized in Taiwan. Multiculturalism not only has become a consensus nowadays, but also been institutionalized through the legislation of laws safeguarding minority rights and the establishment of governmental agencies like The Council for Hakka Affairs and The Council for of Indigenous Peoples. However, these endeavors of recognizing and respecting minority cultural status and rights cannot effectively avert the trend of gradually vanishing of the minority languages in Taiwan. For this reason, the ”Mother tongue learning” in the obligatory education has been adopted as one of the major policy responses.Academic research has found that policy implementation process served as intermediate variable between policy formation and implementation results. The implementation results are thus indirectly affected by this implementation process and implementation process consists of behaviors of ”inter-organizational implementation”, ”bureaucrats” and ”target group”. This research focuses on the policy implementation of ”Hakka Language School” in the primary schools in Kaohsiung City started from 2003. By using research methods of case study, literature review, in-depth interview, and participant observation, we purposively analyze the policy implementation process of ”Hakka Language School” in order to evaluate and explain the policy implementation which is crucial in determination of the policy outcomes.