Abstract
Recent years have witnessed a surge of interest in language planning in specific domains (e.g. business, courts, science, schools, communities, families, etc.). This paper reviews 356 articles on language planning in specific domains in four preeminent international journals and four leading Chinese journals to develop a portrayal of scholarly endeavors over the past 15 years. By a systematic analysis of domains, geographical distribution, and choice of methodology, this review identifies the global and local foci of studies published in international and Chinese journals. The findings suggest that approaches to language planning vary, as the Chinese literature tends to project a top-down model whereas international research mostly reflects a bottom-up perspective focusing on the role of individual agency. The findings highlight the integral role of language planning as one of the emerging fields in applied linguistics, and discusses future directions that Chinese research in language policy and planning could take to enable more interactions with international academia.
Highlights
Recent years have witnessed a surge of interest in language planning in specific domains, indicating two major shifts in language planning and policy (LPP) studies
Speaking, there should be a wider engagement with domain studies in LPP among Chinese scholars, especially since LPP in China has emerged as a disciplinary field partly because of the administrative policy in support of a series of language protection projects intended to deal with language problems (Cao, 2015)
Over the course of 50 years of research on LPP, the focus of international research shifted to specific domains of language planning
Summary
This comparative study, based on 356 papers on language planning in specific domains in international and Chinese leading LPP journals, indicates subtle similarities and substantial differences in domains, methodologies, and geographical distributions. Micro-analysis and bottom-up work could build foundations for macro descriptions and provide solid local and ethnographical material for a better understanding of the complexity and interaction between individuality and social factors. In this regard, we suggest that more Chinese LPP studies and publications should focus on the meso and micro levels, especially on the role of institutions and individual agency. A great number of the works reviewed are goal-oriented and funded by the government to support policy suggestions that cater for the needs of national language planning projects such as the promotion of Putonghua, the overseas dissemination of Chinese, and foreign language education reform. Many studies are carried out to serve national policies such as building a harmonious society or responding to Belt and Road initiatives
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