Language Planning In Education

Páginas: 6 (1304 palabras) Publicado: 30 de abril de 2012
LANGUAGE PLANNING
(EDUCATION)

When we talk about “language planning” we refer to various ways of influencing the way a language is used. It comprises corpus planning, text analysis and status planning. Language planning aims to describe and issue appropriate guidelines on standard language usage. Because conventions vary with the style and function of any text, language planning providesdetailed information on how language is used in specific contexts and how it is changing, as well as issuing related guidelines.

* Corpus planning is the analysis and steering of literary and standard usage, grammar, vocabulary and proper names. This is done with the aid of expert newsletters, manuals, advisory articles, dictionaries and lectures.

* Text analysis focuses on language usagein specific contexts. It aims to improve written texts for optimal fluency in their particular contexts. The main tools used for this purpose are education, language consultation and text revision.

* Status planning analyses and monitors the evolution and functions of language within society. It strives to influence public attitudes within the linguistic community by taking a stand onlanguage policy issues. It also aims to promote linguistic purism and the exclusion of foreign words in key areas of discourse.

Language Planning reflects the importance of language as an issues of migration, globalization, cultural diversity, nation-building, education and ethnic identity.

Rubagumya (1990) states that in order for a language to function as a medium of instruction should meetthree criteria. First, it should be accepted by all concerned, parents, teachers, students and society. It should also be used in at least some domains outside the educational system. On the other hand, Cook (1991) cites that parents sometimes decide to send their child to a certain school in which a specific language is the medium of instruction because they believe it to be languages of themajority or the elite.
However language planning as defined in Kaplan and Baldauf (1997) is an attempt taken by someone to modify the linguistic behavior of a certain group because of some reasons. In other words, there are certain factors that influence the decision of what language to be used as the medium of instruction.
Language planning in the national domain is perceived as a political andadministrative activity for solving the problems of the society. Consequently, the language chosen to be the medium of instruction should satisfy certain criteria identified as national factors. These include unity, neutrality, political power and modernity.

UNITY. Having agreed that the medium of instruction should not create problems within the societal groups. Therefore the first national factorthat influences the choice of a language to be the medium of instruction is unity. One of the language planning policies that have been used to achieve the purpose of unity is language shift.
It has to be admitted that attitudes towards the presentation of mother tongues may change over the time and after the minority groups become more integrated with the wider community. However, it is alsoimportant to stress that seeking unit should not result in abandoning all the other languages that are spoken by minority groups or even immigrants. In the USA, Arabic immigrants tend to maintain their mother tongue and encourage their children to learn it. Language planning should not stand against that however it should encourage people to learn the common language because it will enable them totake part in the society.
In Singapore for example, the education system requires to learn in English and study their mother tongues as compulsory subject. This enables them to be proficient in English, which is the language of commerce, technology and administration and their mother tongue, the language of their cultural heritage.
Another example is Ethiopia. After a long civil war, Ethiopian...
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