Implementation Of Language Policy Research Articles

Re-examining the Status of the English Language in Anglophone Western Africa: A Comparative Study of Ghana and Nigeria

This paper re-examines the status of English as a Second Language (ESL) in Anglophone Western Africa by comparing its use in Nigeria and Ghana. The research is based on the premise that the medium of instruction impacts the quality of education (Ferguson, 2013). The significance of the research is that it is one of the first studies to compare the standard of English language usage in the two countries to establish whether there is a positive link between the quality of education and the language of instruction (Williams, 2011). Predicated on a critical literature review, some of the issues and perspectives analysed include educational language policies, the attitude of students, the quality of teachers and the prospects of the language in the two countries. Findings indicate that the implementation of educational language policies remains an important challenge in the two countries, as there has been a falling standard of English usage (though Ghana has a higher standard of English language usage) and a dearth of English specialists. In identifying the factors that impact on the quality of education in Nigeria and Ghana, the paper concludes that English has significant potential in both countries, and if relevant strategies for its improvement are adopted, both countries will benefit from the socio-economic gains inherent in its adoption and use.

Constructing a common language-in-education policy? Portuguese, Brazilian and Timorese collaboration in the reintroduction of Portuguese in Timor-Leste

The final decolonization of Timor-Leste, in 2002, happened during an era characterized by intensification of globalization processes and, as a result, the reconstruction of the country involved diverse types of multilateral and bilateral cooperation. The cooperation projects of Portugal and Brazil took on the main role in the development of local language-in-education policies contributing, for example, to the construction of the legal framework for education, the national curriculum and the training of teachers. The first objective of this article is to present an analytic account of the trajectory of the Portuguese and the Brazilian cooperation initiatives in Timor-Leste in the field of teacher training. The second objective is to analyse the positionings of social actors who had an involvement in one specific project, in relation to the processes surrounding language policy implementation since Independence. The data to be analysed in detail in this article are from narratives emerging in interviews, conducted during fieldwork in Timor-Leste in 2012. The focus of my analysis is on the interviewees’ lived experiences and the ways in which they indexed the multiple language ideologies circulating in this context. The interviewees’ accounts brought to the fore different ways of accommodating tensions and achieving consent in the construction of language-in-education policies in post-colonial contexts such as this one, reminding the importance of looking, in close detail, at the constant negotiation and recasting of priorities even among social actors aligned in the same politically hegemonic field.

English communication needs in Indonesian university

This paper explores the communication needs of students of English Department, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang (ED UMM) as well as investigates the obstacles in fulfilling their needs. Collecting and analysing data on needs allows teachers to analyse the gap between what has been done and what needs to be done. Accordingly, a Needs Analysis can support the development and implementation of language policies at both macro and micro levels, with far-reaching consequences. The research participants were ED UMM students who are still attending speaking subjects and those who have already completed the speaking subjects. Two stages of data collections: Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and Questionnaire were employed. In FGD, the participants were selected purposively whereas convenience sampling was employed to get the participants for questionnaires. As many as 475 students or equal to 60 % of ED students enrolled at English Department filled in the questionnaires. The findings indicate that to be able to speak in English was students first priority skill to master due to several reasons. To achieve the goals, improving teaching capacity and evaluating institutional policies are required.

A New Language Policy for Indonesia

Indonesia is the house of multicultural ethnic groups with more than 700 individual vernacular languages. This diversity puts Indonesia into both strategic and a vulnerable condition. It is strategic because the culture-rich Indonesia can commodify the diversity for the benefits of the people, however, it is also vulnerable as it can pose serious threats to the existence of the nation. For several decades, Indonesia has given attention to the language policy. Yet, the implementation still needs appropriate modification for the improvement. Objective of the paper: This paper is written on the purpose of giving a new form of language policy to be implemented in Indonesia. Theoretical Framework: A scheme of language policy is proposed for educational setting in Indonesia. Justification: Some arguments are also provided to provide a strong justification for the necessity of implementation of the policy. Conclusion: 1. It is imperative to have a language policy that can promote unity and prevent any potential separatism, provide a sense of belonging to the nations and ethnic culture in terms of nationalism, and open access to knowledge enhancement and the global world. 2. It is also important to have qualified and committing teachers to the implementation of language policy. If both points are present, the benefits of language policy can obviously be obtained.

Language Policy Strategies of Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia

This paper emphasizes language policy strategies of Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. These three countries are the three highly successful Southeast Asian countries in language policy. This success, in our opinion, is due to the fact that the governments of these countries have had very clear and methodical strategies on language policy. To gain findings, this study combines the use of multiple research methods at the same time such as theoretical synthesis, analyzing and describing, comparing and contrasting, deductive and inductive scientific thinking, quantitative statistical methods. The results show that the language policy strategies of the above governments focus on five main contents namely proper recognition of national language context, determining and developing national languages, overcoming ethnic conflicts, aiming at international integration, socio-economic development of the country, implementing language policies appropriate to each historical period and overcoming limitations in the policy enforcement process.

Language policy and planning in Nigeria

Abstract Language planning and policy has been a recurring topic among Nigerian educators. Although the Nigerian National Policy on Education stipulates multilingual education, such provision has remained an object of criticism, rejection, and is therefore not implemented. While some of the issues often raised as hindering its implementation are well-founded, there is also a lack of political will to champion the course of language planning and policy implementation. Meanwhile the government’s intention has been to make the policy receive public acceptance; yet, it has failed to address some of the recurring problems that hinder the achievement of such goal, to the detriment of both the educational and public sectors. This article looks at the dynamics of language planning and policy in Nigeria and why the government must match her rhetoric with action by paying attention to the major issues that hinder the realisation of multilingual education in the country to enhance development.

Enem em Libras como Corpus Linguístico: Metodologia para Produção de Glossários em Libras

A implementação das políticas linguísticas e de acessibilidade tem contribuído para a ampliação dos espaços de atuação da comunidade surda. Exemplo disso é o Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (Enem), que desde 2017 tornou-se acessível para estudantes surdos apresentando a prova traduzida para a Língua Brasileira de Sinais (Libras). Dessa forma, a videoprova pode ser considerada como um documento de registro da língua em questão para as diversas áreas do conhecimento a qual o exame se destina. Assim, este artigo propõe a prova do Enem em Libras como corpora linguísticos para estudos léxico-terminográficos, bem como delimita os passos metodológicos para a construção de um Glossário em Libras digital, tendo como exemplo a área de ciências biológicas. O presente trabalho fundamenta-se na teoria comunicativa da terminologia proposta por Cabré (1999) focada nos princípios da poliedricidade do termo, do caráter comunicativo da terminologia e na variação. Esta proposta é importante por viabilizar que o pesquisador compile seu próprio banco de dados e material de pesquisa, além disso, contribui para o aprimoramento do fazer terminográfico e para a ampliação dos registros de terminologias nas diversas áreas do conhecimento.

An appraisal of bilingual language policy implementation in South African higher education

The demand for promoting bilingual and multilingual language policies in African universities can be regarded as a decolonial force for driving pedagogical changes in teaching and learning. In South Africa, there have been polemic debates particularly on the need to include African languages as alternatives to English. This article intervenes in the increasing tensions about language policy implementation in tertiary institutions. The study utilises a qualitative methodology that blends secondary and primary data collected from semi-structured interviews and questionnaires from two campuses (Howard and Pietermaritzburg) of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). Findings reveal that the UKZN academic staff and students have mixed feelings about the implementation of the bilingual language policy. The authors argue for the need to balance the use of African and non-African languages for teaching and learning. The study ends with a highlight of the challenges related to this Africanising project through language policies by emphasising key tenets for strengthening language policy implementation in South Africa.

Agency in meso-level language policy planning in the face of macro-level policy shifts: a case study of multilingual education in a Chinese tertiary institution

ABSTRACT In contrast to the waning interest in learning languages other than English (LOTEs) worldwide, mainland China is pursuing to diversify LOTE education because of the ‘Belt and Road Initiative.’ In response to language policy shifts, individual stakeholders in local contexts such as universities have to take actions to initiate LOTE programs or courses. However, there is still a paucity of research through an in situ lens into meso-level language policy planning (LPP) and implementation. To address this research gap, this study aims to obtain an in-depth understanding of the agentive actions of two groups of individual stakeholders at institutional level: people with power, and people with expertise. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with seven individual actors, the findings reveal that first, although these individual actors demonstrated agency in responding to macro-level language policy changes, the agency that they actually exercised was relatively limited in terms of the diversification of LOTE education. Second, by examining contextual and personal features, we identified multiple factors that mediate individual actors’ agency in implementing top-down language policy. These findings may help orient language policy makers to create supportive contexts for the exercise of individual agency at local context in LPP and implementation.

Мовний менеджмент як механізм реалізації державної мовної політики

В Україні прийнято закон «Про забезпечення функціонування української мови як державної», який потребує механізму його виконання. Закон поширюється на всі галузі публічного життя, у той же час він був неоднозначно прийнятий суспільством. Напруження на мовному ґрунті залишається, особливо у сферах обслуговування, освіті. Через це є потреба у мовному менеджменті державної мовної політики для її успішної реалізації та запобігання мовним конфліктам у суспільстві.
 Поняття мовного менеджменту в дискурсі державного управління відносно нове, кількість наукових публікацій, присвячених цій темі, незначна, теоретична база дослідження мовного менеджменту, в основному, представлена зарубіжними авторами.
 Мета статті – дослідити наукові підходи до визначення поняття «мовний менеджмент», сформулювати дефініцію мовного менеджменту як складника механізму державної мовної політики, розглянути суб’єктів мовного менеджменту в Україні.
 Наукова новизна. У статті було розглянуто наукові підходи до визначення поняття «мовний менеджмент», його співвідношення з мовним плануванням, сформульовано дефініцію «мовний менеджмент» як складник механізму реалізації державної мовної політики. Окрему увагу приділено вивченню учасників мовного менеджменту та визначено систему суб’єктів мовного менеджменту в Україні.
 Висновки. Запропоновано визначення мовного менеджменту як виду управлінської діяльності, який включає планування, організацію, приведення в дію державної мовної політики та контроль за цими процесами з метою координації інституційних, правових, інформаційних, людських, економічних та інших ресурсів, необхідних для її ефективної реалізації.
 Суб’єктами мовного менеджменту в Україні виступають Верховна Рада України, Конституційний Суд України та суди загальної юрисдикції, Кабінет Міністрів України, Національна комісія зі стандартів державної мови, Уповноважений із захисту державної мови, районні державні адміністрації, органи місцевого самоврядування, громадськість в особі громадських об’єднань, рухів, мовних активістів.
 З метою уникнення правової невизначеності та дотримання законодавства України необхідно уточнити правовий статус таких органів, як Національна комісія зі стандартів державної мови, Уповноважений із захисту державної мови.

Governmental professional development initiatives for the implementation of language policies and curriculum guidelines: Secondary school teachers’ experiences, challenges and views

A case study was conducted to explore public secondary school teachers’ perspectives, practices, and experiences concerning the design and implementation of the English curriculum, as well as the professional development offered by the government in order to implement language policies and curriculum guidelines in the city of Medellin, Colombia. The study lasted one year and included a survey, the analysis of curriculum documents from five selected institutions, and focus group interviews as data collection instruments. Results indicate that the initiatives provided by the government have not been effective in supporting teachers in this endeavor as they have been very limited in terms of curriculum design, and reflect a technical view of teacher learning. In addition, several contextual and social factors have tremendously affected the implementation of language policies and curriculum guidelines in schools. Besides, teachers point to several needs, including that they have more time to appropriate and implement reforms, that they be included in policy-making as affected parties, that professional development initiatives be freed from political and economic interests and that they be offered a preparation that combines improving their language proficiency, English teaching methodologies and curriculum design.

Constraints of hierarchy on meso-actors’ agency: evidence from Vietnam’s educational language policy reform

ABSTRACT This paper contributes to recent discussions of levels of agency in Language Policy and Planning (LPP) research. It specifically aims to understand the role and importance of meso-level actors as arbiters of policy implementation. It argues that, whilst understanding of both macro- and micro-agency has grown over the past decade, little is understood about the experience of meso-level agents. The paper seeks to address this by focussing on the LPP context in Vietnam; in particular, the implementation of the 2008 National Foreign Languages Project 2020. It explores the undertheorised and yet important socio-cultural context in which educational LPP takes place. Contrary to previous research which found that language policy arbiters can, in some cases, possess a disproportionate amount of power, this paper shows how Governments and institutions can act to limit rather than empower meso-level agents. The thematic analysis focuses on how meso-level agents perceive their role and the extent to which the setting in which they work impacts on their capacity to act. The paper argues that lack of information and support for meso-level agents participating in language policy implementation significantly constrains their ability to facilitate policy change.

Students’ Voices on How Indigenous Languages Are Disfavoured in South African Higher Education

South Africa is a country with 11 official languages. However, teaching and learning in South African universities continue to be dominated by a language that was imposed by colonialism. Drawing on a broader doctoral study which explores students’ experiences of (de)coloniality in post-apartheid education, this article reports on how access to education is hindered by the absence of indigenous languages as languages of learning and teaching. This article is based on data that was collected through in-depth individual interviews with 10 social work graduates. In a setting dominated by English, graduates spoke of their hardships in accessing education. Framed within the Afrocentric paradigm and anti-colonial theory, the article calls for the advancement of African indigenous languages in South African universities as part of the transformation agenda. The article draws attention to a need for the university community to commit to the formulation and implementation of language policies that promote translanguaging.

Important issues related to the official language of India

Popularization and implementation of the state language cannot be successful without a clear and scientific analysis of the general language situation. Sociological and sociolinguistic monitoring provides adjustments in language policy that reflect the pace of language processes and their regional differentiation in terms of demographic, social and ethnic dimensions. It is necessary to take measures to further improve the legal framework in the field of language policy for the implementation of the state language development program. Today, many comprehensive studies and assessments of the language situation and implementation of language policy in India are conducted by domestic and foreign scientists. This article analyzes information about official events in the state language in the Republic of India. The article considers the need to develop legal acts on the development of the state language, official speeches of authorized persons and the preparation of official documents in the state language, the state of education in the country, the language situation of other Indian languages. Key words: official language, language situation, Hindi language, Language policy, education system.

ЯЗЫКОВАЯ ПОЛИТИКА РЕСПУБЛИКИ КАЗАХСТАН В КОНТЕКСТЕ СОЦИОКУЛЬТУРНЫХ ПРОЦЕССОВ

The article examines the language policy of Kazakhstan from the point of view of historical development and in the context of the socio-cultural process of conjugation of the Chinese initiative «One Belt, One Road» and the program of Kazakhstan «Bright Path», the analysis of the modern language situation in Kazakhstan is made and on the basis of this analysis forecasts are made and determined prospects for the language policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as proposals for the development of language and culture in China. The authors substantiate the importance of the study of the language policy of Kazakhstan for the PRC, since China is a multinational country, and the study of the language policy of Kazakhstan will allow considering the methods adopted by another multiethnic country to solve the problems of the national language and the formation of language policy, and learn from the practice of Kazakhstan, which will allow the PRC to develop and implement a more effective policy in relation to national and foreign languages, as well as form proposals for the development of cultural exchanges between China and Kazakhstan. The article provides an overview of the current state of research on the language policy of Kazakhstan by Western European and Chinese scientists. The article analyzes documents on the language policy of Kazakhstan, examines such noticeable phenomena in the implementation of language policy as Kazakhization, Latinization of the Kazakh writing and trilingual policy, characterizes the development of the Chinese language in Kazakhstan. The authors of the article analyze in detail the most important trends in the socio-cultural life of Kazakhstan in terms of the implementation of a trilingual policy, consider the reasons for the popularity of the Chinese language in Kazakhstan and consider the activities of Confucius Institutes as the most important centers in the spread of the Chinese language and Chinese culture in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

ЯЗЫКОВАЯ ПОЛИТИКА В ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНОЙ СРЕДЕ РУССКО-БЕЛОРУССКОГО ПРИГРАНИЧЬЯ

In the light of modern processes of globalization, the importance and significance of cross-border cooperation between the border regions of Russia and the Republic of Belarus in various fields: economic, political, administrative and, of course, socio-cultural, is quite obvious. Particular attention should be paid to the language policy in the border zone, in particular – to the language processes in the educational environment that form and socialize the personality of a young person, schoolchildren and student. Using the example of the implementation of language policy in a separate region, the Smolensk-Vitebsk borderland (the Smolensk region borders the Vitebsk region of the Republic of Belarus for more than 200 km), it is shown how the study of sociocultural realities in the territories of contacting languages, Russian and Belarusian, can be practically implemented in educational practice, which contributes to the formation of knowledge of the interaction of different national languages, Russian and Belarusian, among students of schools and universities of the borderlands. It has been proved that there are both processes of cultural globalization and self-identification of ethnic communities in the borderlands. It is considered how the correct language policy in the educational environment helps to solve the problem of the growing generation’s awareness of cultural dialogue in the bilingual space, makes it possible to develop national self-identification while simultaneously perceiving the value attitude towards the Russian language. The attention is focused on the role of the process of cooperation in the field of education. It has been proven that the correct implementation of the language policy strengthens the relationship between Russia and the Republic of Belarus, allows expanding contacts in the professional educational and scientific environment. It is assumed that the further introduction of the socio-cultural component into the educational practice of the borderlands will expand the possibilities of dialogue between the native languages – Russian and Belarusian.

Women of K-12: Exploring teachers’ cognition in language policy implementation

Women mother tongue educators constitute the larger population as compared to their male counterpart. Therefore, women play essential role in the success of the implementation of the latest language-in-education policy. The objective of the study is to determine teachers’ cognition on the use of mother tongue in multilingual class. Teacher cognition was descried by Borg (1998) as the teachers’ various beliefs, attitudes and perspectives towards language teaching. Teacher’s cognition of female teachers was explored to elucidate how teacher’s beliefs influence their educational practices. It was discovered from the interviews that although the participants believe that the use of mother tongue in multilingual class enhances learning, it also poses challenges among teachers. It is also significant to note that teachers tend to deviate from the Mother Tongue-based Education (MTB-MLE) implemented in the Philippines to suit the needs of their students. It was further probed that teacher cognition influences pedagogical practice in multilingual class.

ЯЗЫКОВАЯ ПОЛИТИКА РЕСПУБЛИКИ ТАДЖИКИСТАН В УСЛОВИЯХ РЕАЛИЗАЦИИ ЗАКОНА О ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОМ ЯЗЫКЕ

The article is an attempt to analyze the language policy of Tajikistan in the context of implementation the state language law. The article provides information from regulatory documents, analyzes the main terms, in particular the key concept “language policy”. The main features of Tajikistan language policy revealed; implementation spheres described in perspective and retrospective directions. On the subject of effectiveness, the author analyzed the adopted by the country’s leadership practical measures and strategic programs for the development and the state language preservation. The main problems of the language policy implementation highlighted in the framework of language and terminology planning. The primary issues of the term-creating process based on Tajik economic discourse highlighted and the language policy active and passive tools identified. The basic provisions on state policy studied in the field of professionally oriented language education, which formulates and regulates the standards for studying the state (Tajik) language, the language of international communication (Russian) and foreign languages, since the education sector acts as the basic platform for the language policy implementation. The dominant areas of the state language modern development identified in the framework of the declared topics. Thus, Tajikistan language policy defined as a constructive, timely set of measures aimed at preserving and promoting the cultural and historical heritage and national color.

Language Politics, Monolingual Ethos and Linguistic Pluralism in Ethiopia: Lesson from Wollo Oromo

This study examines the effects of post 1991 Ethiopian language policy on Wollo Oromo. Specifically, the study discusses language politics, monolingual ethos and linguistic pluralism in Ethiopia by focusing on Wollo Oromo. To realize the objectives of the study, the researchers employed both qualitative and quantitative research approach (mixed), which enabled the researchers to explore the socio-economic significance of multilingual policy and challenges in the study community. In this study, both primary and secondary data collection techniques were used. The primary sources of data were collected via interviews, Focus Group Discussion and Questionnaires. Finally, both the secondary and primary data were organized thematically and analyzed just to increase the consistency and strength of the finding of the study. Besides, the quantitative data is analyzed using SPSS version 20. Based on this, the researchers reach upon the following finding; the finding prevail that multilingual policy is significant for local socio-economic development, exploration of local knowledge and innovation. The finding also prevail that learning in mother tongue enhances children learning capacity. The overall data shows that the Oromo nationality zone people are happy with the current multilingual language policy. Nevertheless, the policy implementation is not free from challenges. Among others the implementation of multilingual language policy is challenged by monolingual ethos, politicization of language, lack of understanding and misconception of parents about the use of learning in mother language, attitudes toward local languages and lack of enough materials and teachers for the teaching of this language. Hence, there is the need to depoliticize language and have comprehensive language academy, which develop comprehensive curriculum and create awareness about significances of multilingualism.

“LANGUAGE LIFE” IN THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA OVER THE PAST SEVEN DECADES

Over the past seven decades, the Chinese language has seen continuous changes that emerged as the result of radical changes in the socio-political-cultural context of China. Drawing from an extensive literature review of previous studies on the Chinese language development trajectory, this paper revisits and reflects on language practices in China and the respective features of language life in several key milestone periods since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The findings show that in general, China’s language planning and policy implementation have succeeded in managing language life for both the public and institutions. The success is demonstrated in the following aspects: nationwide popularization of the national common language (Guojia Tongyongyu); realization of the linguistic goal of the unification of speech and writing for the first time in the Chinese history; continuous improvement of overall language life across the society; and healthy development of language life towards diversity and harmony. This paper concludes that the use and development of Chinese over the past seven decades deserve further studies.