Review: Joseph Lo Bianco and Renata Aliani, 2013, Language Planning and Student Experiences: Intention, Rhetoric, and Implementation

Abstract

Joseph Lo Bianco and Renata Aliani, 2013, Language Planning and Student Experiences: Intention, Rhetoric, and Implementation (Multilingual Matters, Bristol)Language Planning and Student Experiences: Intention, Rhetoric, and Implemen- is an example of current research into complexities of language policy in education, and in particular into implementation and public and private negotiation of language policy. As Lo Bianco and Aliani argue in their introduction, the disparity between intention and implementation exposes critical mediating role of interpretation, debate, argument and discourse that surround public texts and that influence school implemen- tation (6). The authors draw on five years of ethnographic study in Victoria, Australia to illustrate complexity of language planning implementation, and they discuss how this data potentially informs strategic language policy development. They argue that gap between intention of policies on language curriculum and actual student language achievement in schools suggests that students and teachers have much more authority over language planning than is acknowledged by policy makers.The first half of book (chapters one and two) is devoted to a compre- hensive look at language policy in Australia over past 40 years. The authors provide a detailed history through a thorough analysis of three official policy texts (National Statement and Plan for Languages, National Indigenous Language Policy and National Languages and Studies in Schools Program) in order to examine intention of language planning in Australia, specifically Victoria. To complement policy analysis, authors place policies in social context of nation and show how rhetoric - political speeches, public news, debate and social media - influence language planning and formation of policies. They find that separation of content of three national policy texts from one another is indicative of political intention used to construct policies.The book concentrates on place of two languages in Australian politics and schooling: Japanese and Italian. The integration of Japanese and Italian language in Australia is described as both a social and economic plan - placing Japanese and Italian in a discussion of language as a commodity, as both were categorised as key languages (54) in National Policy on Languages of 1987. In and context of schooling, both languages have been identified as trade and community languages. The authors note that Japanese and Italian language education entered school system for different reasons, drawing on themes of multiculturalism and Asian Literacy that are popular in Australian society. Understanding rich and complex history of languages in Australia through a discussion of Italian and Japanese diasporas highlights significance of authors' decision to examine these two languages.The second half of book (chapters three and four) presents an in-depth, student-centred research study of implementation of policies, in terms of teaching and learning in Victorian schools. The authors state that Victoria has a reputation for having most extensive and well-supported language policies in Australia. The 2005 Victorian Essential Learning Standards, adopted by Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), sets stage for study. The authors use Q-Methodology to study student language learning experiences in and attitudes about Japanese and Italian language classes in Victorian schools. Q-Methodology is used to collect, analyse and interpret data to show an individual's beliefs about a particular topic. In this study, they conducted focus groups with student participants, and used 25 statements to create their Q-Sample - statements which students were asked to rank, covering six areas (teaching; relevance to curriculum; value of learning language; classroom control; organisational aspects of language provision; and learning language). …