Language Management

Language policy is all about choices. If you are bilingual or plurilingual, you have to choose which language to use. Even if you speak only one language, you have choices of dialects and styles. Some of these choices are the result of management, reflecting conscious and explicit efforts by language managers to control the choices. This is the first book to present a specific theory of language management. Bernard Spolsky reviews current research on the family, religion, the workplace, the media, schools, legal and health institutions, the military and government. Also discussed are language activists, international organisations, and human rights relative to language, and the book concludes with a review of language managers and management agencies. A model is developed that recognises the complexity of language management, makes sense of the various forces involved, and clarifies why it is such a difficult enterprise. Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Dedication......Page 7 Contents......Page 9 Acknowledgements......Page 13 1 Towards a theory of language management......Page 15 Managing speech and linguistic communities......Page 24 The individual and "simple management"......Page 25 Managing language in the family......Page 28 Parents or peers?......Page 33 Family as target......Page 36 Methods of managing the home language ecology......Page 37 Home language managers......Page 39 Ideological influences on the home......Page 40 A model of home language choice......Page 42 First modification of the theory......Page 44 Introduction......Page 45 Jewish language policy......Page 47 Language management in Christianity......Page 52 Islamic language management......Page 58 Other religious language management......Page 62 Religion in the theory of language management......Page 63 Domains and levels of language management......Page 67 Workplace language rules......Page 69 Global business......Page 71 Language management at sea and in the air......Page 76 The workplace in a theory of language management......Page 77 Public linguistic space......Page 79 Early studies of public signage......Page 80 Preliminary questions......Page 83 The effect of advertising on the paysage linguistique......Page 86 Public signs in a theory of language management......Page 89 Newspapers and magazines......Page 90 From sign to sound......Page 93 Media: radio and television......Page 94 Minority access to radio and television......Page 95 Media: telephones, cell phones, and call centers......Page 99 Media: the Internet and e-mail......Page 100 Cultivating public language......Page 101 Media in a theory of language management......Page 102 6 Language policy in schools......Page 104 Pupils......Page 105 Teachers......Page 106 Where are the managers?......Page 107 The self-managed school......Page 108 The locally managed school......Page 109 Externally managed schools......Page 111 Patterns......Page 112 Educational evidence......Page 115 Developed languages......Page 116 Ideological arguments......Page 118 Dividing language functions......Page 119 Teaching additional languages......Page 120 Teaching foreign languages......Page 121 The results of language education policy......Page 122 Teachers as a tool of language management......Page 123 Managing the admission of students......Page 125 Punishment as language management......Page 127 Schooling in a theory of language management......Page 128 Safety and health......Page 129 The law courts......Page 130 Civil rights......Page 131 The police......Page 138 The health institutions......Page 140 The legal and health domains in the model......Page 142 Communication needs in the military......Page 143 The Roman army and the sergeant's problem......Page 144 The sergeant's problem in other armies......Page 145 Canada: making an army bilingual......Page 147 US military language management in two world wars......Page 150 US defense language policy in an age of global war......Page 154 The military domain in a theory of language management......Page 157 Introduction......Page 158 The organization of this chapter......Page 160 The pressure of a multilingual nation......Page 161 Language management at the constitutional level......Page 162 Center vs. periphery......Page 166 The territorial solution......Page 168 The new territorialism: regional autonomy and devolution......Page 171 Going further: the breakup of nation-states......Page 176 Central government regulation of languages......Page 180 Spelling and language reform......Page 181 Local government......Page 182 Why is national policy so difficult?......Page 187 Pressures for national monolingualism and multilingualism......Page 189 Entr'acte: the model to-date......Page 195 Hebrew revitalization as a grassroots movement......Page 199 Nationalist language activism......Page 204 The regeneration of Maori......Page 209 Language activism in Australia......Page 210 Language activism in the United States......Page 211 Community language activism: indigenous and immigrant minorities......Page 212 Some other cases of indigenous schooling......Page 214 Salvaging indigenous endangered languages......Page 216 Language activism in the theory of language management......Page 218 The supranational level or domain......Page 220 Monolingual supranational organizations: language diffusion management......Page 221 League of Nations and United Nations......Page 222 Europe and the European Community: internal language policy......Page 224 Influence of international organizations on national foreign language teaching policy......Page 227 Human and civil rights and the role of supranational organizations......Page 228 Parenthetically, who has "language rights"?......Page 231 International organizations on language rights......Page 233 The European Community and language rights......Page 236 Supranational organizations in a theory of language management......Page 238 Agents and agency......Page 239 Agencies that are not specifically linguistic in scope......Page 240 Immigration and citizenship......Page 242 Specialized language agencies......Page 244 Post-Independence India......Page 247 Academies......Page 248 Terminology committees......Page 255 Nomenclature and place names......Page 256 Language editors......Page 257 Internally (language education)......Page 258 Externally (language diffusion)......Page 259 Translation services......Page 260 Interpreters......Page 261 Language agencies and services in the theoretical model......Page 262 Simple language management: the accommodating individual......Page 263 Organized language management: the family domain......Page 264 The workplace......Page 265 Public linguistic space......Page 266 Courts, hospitals, and police stations......Page 267 Military language management......Page 268 Governments managing language......Page 269 Activism and pursuit of minority rights......Page 271 Beyond the nation-state: organizations and rights......Page 272 What sort of theory do we have?......Page 273 References......Page 276 Index......Page 305 Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Dedication 7 Contents 9 Acknowledgements 13 1 Towards a theory of language management 15 2 Managing language in the family 24 Managing speech and linguistic communities 24 The individual and "simple management" 25 Managing language in the family 28 Parents or peers? 33 Family as target 36 Methods of managing the home language ecology 37 Home language managers 39 Ideological influences on the home 40 A model of home language choice 42 First modification of the theory 44 3 Religious language policy 45 Introduction 45 Jewish language policy 47 Language management in Christianity 52 Islamic language management 58 Other religious language management 62 Religion in the theory of language management 63 4 Language management in the workplace: managing business language 67 Domains and levels of language management 67 Workplace language rules 69 Global business 71 Language management at sea and in the air 76 Advertising and signs 77 The workplace in a theory of language management 77 5 Managing public linguistic space 79 Public linguistic space 79 Public verbal signs 80 Early studies of public signage 80 Preliminary questions 83 The effect of advertising on the paysage linguistique 86 Public signs in a theory of language management 89 Visual space for private use 90 Newspapers and magazines 90 Visual space: books 93 From sign to sound 93 Media: radio and television 94 Minority access to radio and television 95 Media: telephones, cell phones, and call centers 99 Media: the Internet and e-mail 100 Cultivating public language 101 Media in a theory of language management 102 6 Language policy in schools 104 Participants 105 Pupils 105 Teachers 106 Other participants 107 Where are the managers? 107 The self-managed school 108 The locally managed school 109 Externally managed schools 111 Examination boards as language managers 112 Patterns 112 Language of instruction 115 Educational evidence 115 Developed languages 116 Ideological arguments 118 Dividing language functions 119 Teaching additional languages 120 Teaching foreign languages 121 The results of language education policy 122 The tools of language management in schools 123 Teachers as a tool of language management 123 Managing the admission of students 125 Punishment as language management 127 Schooling in a theory of language management 128 7 Managing language in legal and health institutions 129 Safety and health 129 The law courts 130 Civil rights 131 The police 138 The health institutions 140 The legal and health domains in the model 142 8 Managing military language 143 Communication needs in the military 143 The Roman army and the sergeant's problem 144 The sergeant's problem in other armies 145 Canada: making an army bilingual 147 US military language management in two world wars 150 US defense language policy in an age of global war 154 The military domain in a theory of language management 157 9 Local, regional, and national governments managing languages 158 Introduction 158 The organization of this chapter 160 The pressure of a multilingual nation 161 Language management at the constitutional level 162 Center vs. periphery 166 The territorial solution 168 The new territorialism: regional autonomy and devolution 171 Going further: the breakup of nation-states 176 Central government regulation of languages 180 Spelling and language reform 181 Local government 182 Why is national policy so difficult? 187 Pressures for national monolingualism and multilingualism 189 10 Influencing language management: language activist groups 195 Entr'acte: the model to-date 195 Hebrew revitalization as a grassroots movement 199 Nationalist language activism 204 The regeneration of Maori 209 Language activism in Australia 210 Language activism in the United States 211 The volunteer stage 212 Community language activism: indigenous and immigrant minorities 212 Some other cases of indigenous schooling 214 Salvaging indigenous endangered languages 216 Language activism in the theory of language management 218 11 Managing languages at the supranational level 220 The supranational level or domain 220 Monolingual supranational organizations: language diffusion management 221 Internal policy at the supragovernmental level 222 League of Nations and United Nations 222 Europe and the European Community: internal language policy 224 Influence of international organizations on national foreign language teaching policy 227 Human and civil rights and the role of supranational organizations 228 Parenthetically, who has "language rights"? 231 International organizations on language rights 233 The European Community and language rights 236 Supranational organizations in a theory of language management 238 12 Language managers, language management agencies and academies, and their work 239 Agents and agency 239 Managers enforcing status 240 Agencies that are not specifically linguistic in scope 240 Immigration and citizenship 242 Specialized language agencies 244 Post-Independence India 247 Cultivating languages 248 Academies 248 Terminology committees 255 Nomenclature and place names 256 Language editors 257 Managers of language acquisition 258 Internally (language education) 258 Externally (language diffusion) 259 Language services 260 First aid in language management 260 Translation services 260 Interpreters 261 Language agencies and services in the theoretical model 262 13 A theory of language management: postscript or prolegomena 263 Introduction 263 Simple language management: the accommodating individual 263 Organized language management: the family domain 264 The religious domain 265 The workplace 265 Public linguistic space 266 The school domain 267 Courts, hospitals, and police stations 267 Military language management 268 Governments managing language 269 Activism and pursuit of minority rights 271 Beyond the nation-state: organizations and rights 272 Agencies for language management 273 What sort of theory do we have? 273 References 276 Index 305 9780521516099 Language policy is all about choices. If you are bilingual or plurilingual, you have to choose which language to use. Even if you speak only one language, you have choices of dialects and styles. Some of these choices are the result of management, reflecting conscious and explicit efforts by language managers to control the choices. This book presents a specific theory of language management. Bernard Spolsky reviews research on the family, religion, the workplace, the media, schools, legal and health institutions, the military and government. Also discussed are language activists, international organisations, and human rights relative to language, and the book concludes with a review of language managers and management agencies. A model is developed that recognises the complexity of language management, makes sense of the various forces involved, and clarifies why it is such a difficult enterprise. Towards A Theory Of Language Management -- Managing The Language In The Family -- Religious Language Policy -- Language Management In The Workplace : Managing Business Language -- Managing Public Linguistic Space -- Language Policy In Schools -- Managing Language In Legal And Health Institutions -- Managing Military Language -- Local, Regional, And National Governments Managing Languages -- Influencing Language Management : Language Activist Groups -- Managing Languages At The Supranational Level -- Language Managers, Language Management Agencies And Academies, And Their Work -- A Theory Of Language Management : Postscript Or Prolegomena. Bernard Spolsky. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 262-290) And Index. "This is the first book to present a specific theory of language management. Bernard Spolsky reviews current research on the family, religion, the workplace, the media, schools, legal and health institutions, the military, and government. Also discussed are language activists, international organizations, and human rights relative to language, and the book concludes with a review of language managers and management agencies. A model is developed that recognizes the complexity of language management, makes sense of the various forces involved, and clarifies why it is such a difficult enterprise."--Jacket