Questioning North Korea’s digraphic inflection point: Kim Il Sung’s 1964 and 1966 conversations with linguists reconsidered

Kim Il Sung’s 1964 and 1966 conversations with linguists are appropriately deemed important as the establishment of the North’s “cultured language” as a standard, as well as guidance related to language purification and script. In the analysis of inflection point related to language planning and policy in the North, is the often guidance on re-enshrinement of teaching “Chinese characters” (hanja) in North Korean education. Clearly this was official pronouncement of functional, synchronic digraphia, which has been preserved and operationalized down to the present. Scholarship on these conversations, amounting to policy guidance, attribute the shift in policy related to script as an inflection point. The author of this article concurs with its importance, but with respect to digraphia in the North, the conversations related to hanja instruction served as a confirmation for what was a broad trend in North Korean language planning during the years 1953-1964, a language planning and policy fait accompli, diminishing the portrayal of the conversations as a digraphic inflection point in North Korea.

Arabicization in Saudi Arabia: Procedures and Implementations

Educators and policymakers maintain that Arabicization is of paramount importance. The question, however, is why the Arabicization process has been lagging behind in almost all Arab countries and in Saudi Arabia particularly. This paper attempts to evaluate the planning process of Arabicization based on Haugen’s language planning model (Haugen, 1983) depicting the success in Arabic as a national language but its regression at an official level. Being the clearest language planning in KSA, it still has some problematic areas in terms of its proper implementation. It incorporates distinct steps; the identification of financial resources, creating time schedules for conclusion, and the evaluation and assessments. This research begins with an introduction to Haugen’s language planning model (1983) and its basic elements. Moreover, some historical foundations including the objectives of language planning are investigated. Activities of Arabizing language planning are explored as well as the effects of globalization on Arabizing language outlining. The argument here is situated on the exploration of the Saudi language program and supporting legislative records. This paper tackles the questions of implementation in the light of its failures and successes as far as the Saudi policy is concerned.

Istoriya ukrayins’koyi movy z perspektyvymovnoho planuvannya

The History of the Ukrainian language from the perspective of language planning. The article is devoted to the analysis of the history of the Ukrainian language from the perspective of language planning. i.e., the theories of H. Kloss, J. Fishman and W. Croft. The processes of ‘ausbauization’ and ‘einbauization’, as well as the regional peculiarities of the entire dialect continuum, are described, taking into consideration the influence of the Russian, Polish, Hungarian, and Romanian languages. Keywords: ‘ausbau’, ‘abstand’, ‘einbau’, Ukrainian language, “Rusyn” language.

Characteristics of Foreign Language Education in Italy and Implications: From the Perspective of National Foreign Language Capacity

This article reviews foreign language education in Italy using a national language competence-oriented evaluation approach. Foreign language education is at the heart of the acquisition component of language planning, and assessing foreign language education from the perspective of the purpose of language policy, i.e. the promotion of national language competence, which refers to the sum total of the government’s ability to deal with all language-related issues of strategic interests and allows for a more direct application of language planning theory. Based on the theoretical framework of National Foreign Language Capacity and acquisition planning, this study presents a detailed analysis of the characteristics and problems of Italian foreign language education policy, taking into account its ‘rationality,’ ‘coverage,’ and ‘influence,’ which are three interrelated indicators that allow for a comprehensive and specific assessment of national foreign language competence. By revealing the inadequacies of Italy’s national language proficiency system, the author intends to provide an insight into the gap between the effectiveness of policy formulation and implementation in foreign language education in Italy and to suggest some widespread problems in foreign language education that are similar to those in China.

Planning for Tolerability: Promoting Positive Attitudes and Behaviours Towards the Maori Language Among Non-Maori New Zealanders

<p>This thesis investigates the effectiveness of promoting positive attitudes and behaviours towards the Maori language among non-Maori New Zealanders as a contributing factor in Maori language regeneration. It begins by examining the theoretical rationale for focusing on the attitudes and behaviours of majority language speakers in minority language regeneration. Although the impact of majority language speakers on minority languages is clear, theoretical perspectives differ on whether majority language speakers should be a focus of language regeneration planning. Competing approaches are discussed,and a process model is introduced for 'planning for tolerability' - minority language planning targeting the attitudes and behaviours of majority language speakers. This model posits five essential components: recognising the problem; defining the target audience of majority language speakers; developing messages and desired behaviours; selecting policy techniques; and evaluating success. After reviewing existing research on the attitudes of non-Maori New Zealanders towards the Maori language and introducing the participants to the current research, the New Zealand government's approach to planning for the tolerability of the Maori language is examined. The Government has recognised the importance of non-Maori in Maori language regeneration since the beginning of the development of the Maori Language Strategy in the mid 1990s. The extent to which the Government considers non-Maori as an important audience for Maori language planning in practice, however, appears to fluctuate. Possible reasons for this are discussed. The main focus of Maori language policy towards non-Maori has been promotional campaigns. The discursive approach taken in a selection of these campaigns is analysed, showing that promotional materials aimed at non-Maori New Zealanders (including television ads, phrase booklets, and a website) transmit a wide range of messages about the Maori language, relating to both attitudes and 'desired behaviours'. Such messages are conveyed through a range of discursive techniques, using both a ' reason' and a 'tickle' approach. An analysis is also presented of data collected from eighty non-Maori New Zealanders at nine white-collar workplaces in Wellington, using questionnaires and interviews. The analysis centres on the attitudes of the participants towards the Maori language, their responses to current and recent promotional materials, and the role they see for themselves in supporting Maori language regeneration. Language policy approaches targeting majority language speakers in two international minority language situations, Wales and Catalonia, are then examined, and comparisons made to the New Zealand approach. The analysis concludes that the three approaches to planning for tolerability each exhibit some unique features, relating to all five components of planning for tolerability. Possible reasons for the distinct approaches are discussed. Finally, the results of the analysis of New Zealand government policy, the data collection process and the international comparisons are drawn together in order to consider the future of planning for tolerability in New Zealand.</p>

Planning for Tolerability: Promoting Positive Attitudes and Behaviours Towards the Maori Language Among Non-Maori New Zealanders

<p>This thesis investigates the effectiveness of promoting positive attitudes and behaviours towards the Maori language among non-Maori New Zealanders as a contributing factor in Maori language regeneration. It begins by examining the theoretical rationale for focusing on the attitudes and behaviours of majority language speakers in minority language regeneration. Although the impact of majority language speakers on minority languages is clear, theoretical perspectives differ on whether majority language speakers should be a focus of language regeneration planning. Competing approaches are discussed,and a process model is introduced for 'planning for tolerability' - minority language planning targeting the attitudes and behaviours of majority language speakers. This model posits five essential components: recognising the problem; defining the target audience of majority language speakers; developing messages and desired behaviours; selecting policy techniques; and evaluating success. After reviewing existing research on the attitudes of non-Maori New Zealanders towards the Maori language and introducing the participants to the current research, the New Zealand government's approach to planning for the tolerability of the Maori language is examined. The Government has recognised the importance of non-Maori in Maori language regeneration since the beginning of the development of the Maori Language Strategy in the mid 1990s. The extent to which the Government considers non-Maori as an important audience for Maori language planning in practice, however, appears to fluctuate. Possible reasons for this are discussed. The main focus of Maori language policy towards non-Maori has been promotional campaigns. The discursive approach taken in a selection of these campaigns is analysed, showing that promotional materials aimed at non-Maori New Zealanders (including television ads, phrase booklets, and a website) transmit a wide range of messages about the Maori language, relating to both attitudes and 'desired behaviours'. Such messages are conveyed through a range of discursive techniques, using both a ' reason' and a 'tickle' approach. An analysis is also presented of data collected from eighty non-Maori New Zealanders at nine white-collar workplaces in Wellington, using questionnaires and interviews. The analysis centres on the attitudes of the participants towards the Maori language, their responses to current and recent promotional materials, and the role they see for themselves in supporting Maori language regeneration. Language policy approaches targeting majority language speakers in two international minority language situations, Wales and Catalonia, are then examined, and comparisons made to the New Zealand approach. The analysis concludes that the three approaches to planning for tolerability each exhibit some unique features, relating to all five components of planning for tolerability. Possible reasons for the distinct approaches are discussed. Finally, the results of the analysis of New Zealand government policy, the data collection process and the international comparisons are drawn together in order to consider the future of planning for tolerability in New Zealand.</p>