Language Policy & Planning

Course Number: 82-888

According to the Center for Applied Linguistics, “Decisions around language policy and planning are made around the globe every day, both formally by governments and informally by scholars and community leaders. These decisions influence the right to use and maintain languages, affect language status and determine which languages are nurtured. Language policy and planning decisions have a major impact on language vitality and, ultimately, on the rights of the individual.”

In this course, students discuss the main concepts, theories and research paradigms associated with the field of Language Policy and Planning (LPP) in multilingual educational contexts at the international, national, local or institutional levels. Specific topics may include: official language decisions, language standardization, instructional medium choices, foreign/heritage/second language pedagogy and policy, indigenous language revitalization efforts, mother tongue instruction, language rights and linguistic landscape.

Students will analyze the impact of LPP on individuals and groups within political, cultural, educational or socio-economic domains and will apply these principles to hands-on projects related to their areas of research interest. The course is taught in seminar/discussion-based format and does not require previous experience with LPP.

Degree: Graduate
Concentration: Ph.D. in ALSLA
Semester(s): Fall, Spring