Epistemological and theoretical foundations in language policy and planning: a book review

This article aims to provide a theoretical foundation and a comprehensive overview of the relationship between language policy and language planning (LPP), supported by relevant references from a sociolinguistic perspective. Language policy and language planning play crucial roles in shaping the linguistic landscape of societies worldwide. Understanding the definitions and implications of these terms is essential for investigating the complexities of language use, preservation, and promotion. The findings of this article underscore the strong relationship between language policy and language planning, emphasizing their collaborative role in shaping a society's linguistic landscape. However, language policy and language planning share a profound interconnection, with policy serving as the foundational framework that guides planning, while planning operates as the essential mechanism for actualizing the objectives established by policy. Moreover, the article highlights various factors contributing to positive language planning and policy outcomes, including active community involvement, clear communication strategies, and well-designed training programs. Additionally, it discusses the profound impact of globalization on language policy and planning, noting that increased interconnectedness presents opportunities for the increase of dominant languages and cultures. Finally, the researchers recommend that future research should continue exploring the dynamic interaction between language policy and language planning, particularly in globalization, migration, and technological change as well as there is a need for more comparative studies that examine how different sociolinguistic contexts influence the effectiveness of language policies and planning initiatives.

Interdisciplinarity is a hallmark of language policy and planning (LPP) research and reveals how the impact of language plans and policies transcends disciplinary boundaries. Interdisciplinarity also means that clear LPP-specific methods have been slow to develop, if at all. This chapter reviews the methodological history of the field, highlighting major shifts engendered by particular research approaches, and ends with some predictions about where the field might be headed as evidenced by emerging trends. First, epistemological foundations are discussed, which help clarify methodological directions and perspectives. Then, a chronological history of LPP research methods is considered, with particular attention to language planning foundations, the critical and empirical turns, and emerging trends.

The original version of this chapter was inadvertently published with an incorrect author name "Sontag, S" in the reference list and citation, which has now been corrected to "Sonntag, S". The chapter has been updated with the change.

Epistemological and theoretical foundations in language policy and planning

Epistemological and Theoretical Foundations in Language Policy and Planning: Introduction

Epistemological and Theoretical Foundations in Language Policy and Planning

Epistemological and theoretical foundations in language policy and planning

Epistemological and Theoretical Foundations in Language Policy and Planning

The article in question is dedicated to the analysis of how legal instruments shape language policy on preserving and developing the languages of title ethnic groups (ethnos) of the territories having the republican status – the Komi Republic and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The main aspect of analysis is language management implementation on both state and local levels. Thus, the federal- and regional-level legislation on language policy in the Komi Republic and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) has been thoroughly studied. Bernard Spolsky’s approach to understanding the constitutive aspects of language policy is taken as a theoretical ground. The authors exploited statistical data of the All-Union Census of 1989 and of the All-Russia Census of 2010 to trace both the development dynamics of the language situation in the above-mentioned regions and the results of language management implementation. It has been revealed as a result that legal framework of language management underwent considerable changes in mechanisms of its implementation. These changes ensured some positive implications for the languages development of the analysed title ethnic groups. The most conspicuous positive developments are there in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The language management here finds its expression in the well-balanced policy aimed at strengthening the state languages – the Russian languages and the Yakut language – on basis of their equality. Yet, the legal framework of language management requires further refining, especially when it comes to clear distinction of legal status and powers of the Russian language and title ethnic languages of the republics under analysis.

Статья посвящена проблеме сохранения и развития языков народов Российской Федерации. Цель исследования – анализ состояния теоретико‑методологического обеспечения и мониторинга реализации образовательно‑языковой политики по сохранению и развитию родных языков и культур в регионах страны. Авторы признают остроту решения проблемы сохранения языков народов, его дискуссионный характер относительно качества нормативно‑правового обеспечения современной языковой политики, теоретико‑методологических оснований языкового образования, содержания, целей и способов его реализации. Даны результаты мониторинга по реализации языковой политики, проведенного в 29 регионах Российской Федерации. Даны результаты организации цикла общероссийских и межрегиональных информационных и практических мероприятий «Языки и культура народов России: сохранение и развитие». Результаты исследования позволили выделить проблемы в сфере реализации образовательно‑языковой политики (сопряженность многообразия форм и направлений мероприятий, направленных на сохранение языков, с их недостаточным уровнем теоретико‑методологи­че­ского обоснования, недостаточную системность в реализации задач национально‑языковой политики в практике общеобразовательной школы; неразработанность во многих субъектах РФ региональных стратегий, концепций развития этноязыкового образования и т. д.). В статье авторы определяют перспективные линии развития образовательно‑языковой политики: это определение современной концепции развития языкового (этнокультурного) образования, обоснование его целей и принципов и разработка вариативных моделей ее реализации, стратегическим ориентиром которого является формирование и укрепление гармоничного национально‑русского двуязычия, обеспечивается знание русского языка как государственного всем населением и поддерживается изучение национальных (этнических) языков народов России. Выделены ключевые принципы концепции развития языкового (этнокультурного, этноязыкового) образования: формирование и развитие полиязыковой компетентности обучающихся; сохранение и развитие языков и культур народов РФ как важного условия их интеграции в общероссийскую гражданскую нацию без ассимиляции; обеспечение подготовки и переподготовки педагогических работников, осуществляющих преподавание родного языка народов России в условиях поликультурного образовательного пространства. Результаты исследования могут быть использованы при выработке эффективных решений в области языкового образования (ценностно‑смысловых, содержательных, технологических) по вопросам сохранения и развития родных языков, на курсах повышения квалификации и переподготовки педагогических работников по вопросам совершенствования норм и условий полноценного функционирования и развития языков народов России. The article is devoted to the problem of preserving and developing the languages of the peoples of the Russian Federation. The purpose of the research is to analyze the state of theoretical and methodological support and monitoring of the implementation of educational and language policy for the preservation and development of native languages and cultures in the regions of the country. The authors recognize the urgency of solving the problem of preserving the languages of peoples, its debatable nature regarding the quality of legal support for modern language policy, theoretical and methodological foundations of language education, content, goals and methods of its implementation. The results of monitoring the implementation of the language policy conducted in 29 regions of the Russian Federation are given. The results of organizing a cycle of all-Russian and interregional informational and practical events "Languages and culture of the peoples of Russia: conservation and development". The results of the study allowed to identify problems in the implementation of educational language policy (the conjugation of the diversity of forms and directions of activities aimed at the preservation of languages, with their inadequate theoretical and methodological substantiation, the lack of consistency in the implementation of the tasks of the national language policy in the practice of the secondary school; undeveloped in many constituent entities of the Russian Federation regional strategies, development concepts and linguistic education, etc.). The authors identify promising lines of development of educational language policy: the definition of the modern concept of development of language (ethno-cultural) education, the rationale of its purposes and principles and the development of variable models of its implementation, the strategic guideline of which is the formation and strengthening of harmonious national-Russian bilingualism, provided by the knowledge of the Russian language as the state language by the whole population and is supported by the study of national (ethnic) languages of the peoples of Russia. The key principles of the concept of development of language (ethno-cultural, ethno-linguistic) education are highlighted: formation and development of multilingual competence of students; preservation and development of languages and cultures of the peoples of the Russian Federation as an important condition for their integration into the all-Russian civil nation without assimilation; provision of training and retraining of teachers who teach the native language of the peoples of Russia in a multicultural educational space. The results of the research can be used in the development of effective solutions in the field of language education (value-semantic, content-based, technological) for the preservation and development of native languages, in advanced training and retraining courses for teachers on improving the norms and conditions for the full functioning and development of the languages of the peoples of Russia.

This article provides an in-depth analysis of the scientific principles outlined in the work "A New Perspective on Kazakh Terminology" by Doctor of Philological Sciences, academician Abduali Kaidar, published in 1993. During the early years of Kazakhstan's independence, national language policy entered a new phase, necessitating the systematization, standardization, and scientific grounding of Kazakh terminology. In this context, the eleven principles proposed by A. Kaidar marked a significant step toward the reform of terminological studies. The primary objective of this study is to examine the theoretical foundations of these principles, uncover their methodological relevance, determine their role in the development of national term formation, and assess their impact on contemporary language and terminology policy in Kazakhstan. To achieve this goal, several research tasks were identified: first, to analyze and systematize the eleven principles formulated by Kaidar; second, to establish the continuity of these principles with earlier theoretical approaches in terminology; third, to determine their significance in coordinating terminological activities; and finally, to present and evaluate scholarly responses and critiques regarding these principles through concrete examples. A range of scholarly methods was applied in the study. The comparative method was used to juxtapose Kaidar's principles with earlier theoretical terminological frameworks. Content analysis was employed to extract and systematize the key ideas of the work "A New Perspective on Kazakh Terminology". To structure and interpret the principles, synthesis and systematization methods were utilized. The historical-scientific method was applied to assess the role and importance of these principles within the development of Kazakh terminological science in the post-Soviet period. The article provides a detailed examination of each of the proposed principles, analyzing their practical relevance and their applicability in coordinating terminological work. It emphasizes that these principles are closely linked with broader issues of national language development and the implementation of state language policy. Special attention is paid to Kaidar's timely contribution to raising the issue of terminology, his role in shaping the scientific foundation and methodological direction for subsequent research, and his influence on the work of the State Terminology Commission. Additionally, the article notes that Kaidar’s principles sparked diverse reactions within the academic community and were the subject of both support and constructive criticism. Prominent scholars such as Ömirzaq Aitbayev and Sherubay Qurmanbayuly acknowledged the scientific validity of the proposed framework while offering insightful critiques of specific aspects. This diversity of perspectives contributes to a well-rounded and objective analysis of Kaidar’s approach. Ultimately, the study concludes that A. Kaidar's work played a vector-forming role in the establishment and development of national terminology and remains relevant in the current linguistic landscape.

Introduction: Why Do We Need to Define Concepts? The concepts we use are almost never neutral. In contested arenas such as bilingual education, words and concepts frame and construct the phenomena under discussion, making some persons and groups visible, others invisible; some the unmarked norm, others marked and negative. Choice of language can minoritise or distort some individuals, groups, phenomena, and relations while majoritising and glorifying others. Concepts also can be defined in ways that hide, expose, rationalize, or question power relations. Because concepts and terms develop historically, the same concept may have several definitions. For example, “language immersion” has historically been associated with FrenchCanadian immersion for middle-class Anglophones (Cummins & Swain, 1986; Lambert & Tucker, 1986). The term was misleadingly appropriated by U.S. policymakers to describe submersion programmes (called “structured immersion”), despite protest from the concept’s originator (Lambert, 1984: 26-27). Recently the term has taken on new meaning in Indigenouslanguage immersion programmes to revitalize endangered Indigenous languages (Bear Nicholas, 2005; Hinton & Hale, 2001; Hinton et al., 2002). The ideological, historical, epistemic, and empirical bases for these varied uses of “immersion” are distinct, as are program practices. A further reason for interrogating concepts is the presence of multiple paradigms. For example, literacy can be defined as the ability to read and write. Yet this definition masks two different paradigms informing literacy research and practice. Autonomous views characterize literacy as abstract, neutral, and independent from the social context and language users (Ong, 1982). Ideological views characterize literacy as “socially and historically situated, fluid, multiple, and power-linked” (McCarty, 2005: xvii-xviii; Street, 1984, 2001). Educationally, an autonomous view emphasizes discrete language skills, often taught through direct instruction and scripted phonics programs. An ideological view binds reading and writing to oracy, emphasizing the development of different literacies (and multiliteracies) for different purposes through meaningful social interaction and critical examination of authentic texts. In this chapter, we define and “unpack” key concepts in bilingual education, focusing on those encountered most frequently in the research and pedagogical literature. We then examine one illustrative case – the term “limited English proficient” in U.S. language policy – to illustrate the ideological, historical, and empirical underpinnings of such concepts. We conclude by considering the implications of this work for bilingual education practice and linguistic human rights.

The article considers theoretical and methodological foundations of language policies implemented in humanities universities, discusses measures that serve to maintain language and cultural security in different countries, and outlines the key objectives of Russian humanities universities with regard to digital learning and overall internationalization of education and science. Success in reaching these objectives depends on the polyfunctional nature of the proposed methodology since it is aimed at addressing both educational and research-related challenges. The polyparadigmatic character of the methodology lays the basis for further interdisciplinary studies and for initiating convergent educational programs adjustable to online and offline learning. Theoretical assumptions are based on the experience of implementing training programmes in the field of interlinguistic and intercultural communication with support of distance learning technologies. The article clarifies the terms distance learning technologies and online learning, which apply to the main concepts of the study, provides concrete examples to reveal the differences between these terms and specifies their usage, which is contributing for humanitarian knowledge in general and the learning space in particular. The article considers promotion of Russian as the language of ethnic and institutional interaction to be the main objective of language policies; views heritage languages as an integral part of cultural and historical legacy and discusses measures of their preservation; brings to the fore the importance of creating a barrier-free communicative zone. The article stresses the urgency of developing net cooperation with higher educational institutions both in and outside Russia, the importance of launching interdisciplinary programmes and creating conditions for inclusive education on a regular basis. Finally, it is emphasized that further scientific research in the field of language policy in higher education will contribute to language and cultural security. Language policy in higher education comprises four major directions responsible for science, learning and education in accordance with the concept of sustainable development and security of languages and cultures.

The concept of the epistemological framework within the foundations of business process management in providing an enterprise economic security has been proposed. The semantic division of such concepts is demonstrated, forming the basis for structuring the mentioned concepts across different fields of knowledge. The substantive epistemological concepts within these epistemological foundations are structured according to fields of knowledge, highlighting such areas as micro-level security studies, the process approach, evaluation theory, and micro-level management. These epistemological concepts are also structured by the sources of knowledge, distinguishing theoretical, empirical, instrumental, and sociocultural foundations. The negative consequences of the absence of various of epistemological foundations by origin within the epistemological foundations of business process management in providing the economic security of an enterprise are shown. The issue of congruence between different epistemological foundations of business process management in providing the enterprise economic security is considered. Managerial recommendations for actions in the absence of such congruence are formulated to provide the integrity and consistency of epistemological foundations of business process management in providing the enterprise economic security. A structured matrix of substantive epistemological concepts within the epistemological foundations of business process management in providing the enterprise economic security is built. Based on this matrix, with the involvement of structural epistemological operands, a continuum of epistemological foundations for business process management in providing the enterprise economic security is developed, allowing for the structured and coherent visualization of the content of the mentioned foundations

The article presents the theoretical foundations for studying the cultural and linguistic environment as an object of public administration in the context of socio-cultural transformations. It analyzes the conceptual and categorical framework that defines the cultural and linguistic environment as a component of the socio-cultural system, which serves as the foundation for communicative interaction, individual socialization, and the reproduction of cultural norms and values within society. The study examines the influence of the cultural and linguistic environment on socio-cultural transformations in Ukraine amid globalization challenges and European integration. Key theoretical approaches and contributions of prominent scholars–such as E. Tylor, P. Bourdieu, and J. Habermas–are considered, highlighting the multidimensional nature of culture and the role of language in shaping social identity and communication. The research establishes that the cultural and linguistic environment reflects societal processes and actively contributes to the formation of new models of civic identity, political culture, educational systems, and media practices. A multi-level structure of the cultural and linguistic environment is proposed, encompassing individual, group, and institutional levels. The institutional level captures the influence of governmental, educational, cultural, and media institutions, which shape policies aimed at preserving and developing linguistic and cultural diversity. The group level reflects the interactions of social communities, ethnic and linguistic groups, where intercultural dialogue occurs and collective identity is constructed. At the individual level, the cultural and linguistic environment shapes processes of self-identification, worldview formation, and linguistic identity. The article substantiates mechanisms of public influence on socio-cultural transformations, with a central role played by language policy, educational programs, media spaces, and legal regulation of cultural activity. These mechanisms help preserve cultural uniqueness while promoting adaptation to new societal challenges and integration into the European socio-cultural space. The need for a balanced approach between preserving national cultural heritage and openness to intercultural dialogue is emphasized, as it is essential for Ukraine's adaptation to European value-normative standards.