1 / 19

The Role of Educators in Language Planning and Policy

The Role of Educators in Language Planning and Policy. Alex Price PPS 6010 2 /17/11. Language Planning. Defined by Rubin (1976) as “ The study of solutions to language problems by authorized government organizations. ”

jadzia
Download Presentation

The Role of Educators in Language Planning and Policy

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Role of Educators in Language Planning and Policy Alex Price PPS 6010 2/17/11

  2. Language Planning • Defined by Rubin (1976) as “The study of solutions to language problems by authorized government organizations.” • Actions taken and decisions made regarding planning and policy are deliberate • Formal- Official policies/legislation • Informal- Manipulation of attitudes towards language variations (media, social groups)

  3. Language Behavior/Equity • Descriptive- Understanding the relationship between language behavior and social participation • How language is used • Diglosia- Using high status and low status languages in different contexts • Code Shifting- Why bilingual speakers choose to use one language over another • Relations of Dominance- How language establishes social dominance and status • Register shifts- How formal and informal language shapes the rules of interaction

  4. Language Behavior/Equity • Evaluative- Describes how language behavior is shaping or changing • Efforts to standardize or purify a language • Preserve or revive endangered languages • Establish national languages • Legislation of language usage

  5. Language Diversity- Problem, Right, or Resource?

  6. Language Diversity- Problem, Right, or Resource? • Language diversity as a problem • linguistic genocide • socially and economically shortsighted

  7. Language Diversity- Problem, Right, or Resource? • Language diversity as a right • helped to create bilingual education • Seen more as a transitional effort • expires when student shifts to English

  8. Language Diversity- Problem, Right, or Resource? • Language diversity as a resource • valuable asset • socially and economically beneficial • more valuable than English only instruction

  9. Fairclough’sCritical Language Analysis • Awareness of hidden levels of language • The text itself • Institutional influences • Social/cultural influences

  10. Bourdieu: Language as Social Capital • Accumulated knowledge and experience used to assert power and status (Traveling, tutors, music lessons, etc.) • Just as valuable as cash

  11. Equitable Education:The Classroom • eliminate “halo effect” • student grouping targets status differences • Student’s backgrounds are considered when planning instruction • Adequate time for primary language skills development

  12. Equitable Education: School Level • Primary language tools shared among staff • Extra-duty tasks are adjusted to accommodate teachers who have to translate documents or develop primary language materials • Staff members with expertise are given time to collaborate with other teachers • Teachers involved in academically oriented extracurricular activities are given more money • Some intellectual competitions held in primary languages • Request principals to advocate for funding

  13. Equitable Education: District Level • Teachers must influence policy or others will (politicians, demagogues) • Teachers request input about materials purchased by school district • Teacher training (English language development, primary language development)

  14. Equitable Education: Parent/Community involvement • Welcoming and encouraging parents to participate in education • Parents can use school library to check out materials • School facilities available for community meetings

  15. Equitable Education: Professional Organizations • Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) • National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) • Start local affiliation

  16. English as the Official Language?

  17. English as the Official Language? • Pros (Mario Mujica, chairman of US English) • Unites People • Empowers immigrants (No linguistic welfare) • Eliminates expensive duplication

  18. English as the Official Language? • Cons (Edward Chen, American Civil Liberties Union) • Divides people (fosters bigotry) • Violates immigrants’ civil rights (denies fair and equal access) • Violates first amendment rights of elected officials and public employees • Makes government less efficient (miscommunication with communities)

  19. Conclusion • “The belief that teachers have no role in language planning and language politics is a denial of professional responsibility, an abdication of authority”

More Related