The notion of validity encapsulates the echo of the physical within the technical. The technical force of a language course, test or plan needs to be evaluated for its effects. On the norm side, this yields a design principle that asks whether the design is adequate, and can be validated. That kind of technical validation is perhaps most prominent…

This paper discusses the 'fuzziness' of Hungarian legal language as an issue of language planning addressed in the Hungarian language strategy to be published by the Hungarian Research Centre for Language Planning. First, we give a concise historical overview on the status of Hungarian language in Hungary, only to make it evident how its status…

Applied linguistic designs are too seldom acknowledged for being inspired by care and concern for the language needs of the vulnerable. Yet in them love and compassion, rather than self-interest and malice, are easily identifiable as motivations. Normatively, applied linguistic interventions aiming to alleviate pernicious language difficulties are…

For many years Denmark has had a reputation for being laissez-faire in language matters. There is no explicit language legislation, and the Danish Language Council has mainly descriptive functions. However, there is a powerful standard language ideology, and in other societal domains such as education or immigration, language is heavily regulated.…

For over two decades, emergent bilingual students in Arizona have languished under the state's English-only Structured English Immersion policies. Using Theo Van Leeuwan's (2007) legitimation in discourse framework, this study longitudinally tracks shifts in legitimation tactics across the four iterations of the policy--its inception with…

This article is inspired by Lo Bianco's theory of discourse planning. Using the case of Indonesia's second president Soeharto, the article demonstrates the usefulness of Lo Bianco's theory to understand how language was instrumental in the discourse planning of "Pembangunan" [Development], and as such, in understanding the nexus of…

This positioning paper maps the landscape of family foreign language education planning (FFLEP) research in China, framing key issues and future directions within the broader context of language acquisition planning studies. FFLEP is conceptualized as a dynamic process where families actively engage in planning and implementing foreign language…

The relationship between national languages and schooling is a recurring theme in Derrida's writings on education, playing an important role in the challenge he mounts to traditional understandings of the French State's involvement in the teaching of philosophy. In this essay, I follow this thread of thinking across several of Derrida's texts,…

The field of language policy and planning (LPP) has increasingly expanded its focus beyond legislative measures and macro-level policies toward understanding the power of social actors and their interpretation, appropriation, and creation of language policies in societies. This article aims to advance LPP theory and research by offering a critical…

Though our technical imagination is not restricted to the aesthetic, analogies of the latter in the former do give pause to consider anew the role of creativity and invention in language intervention design. On the norm side, aesthetic anticipations in the technical sphere appeal to the designers of language interventions to bring their solutions…

In a theory of language policy, managers are individuals or institutions with authority to require others to change their language practices or beliefs. Advocates are individuals or institutions who want the same result, but lacking any power to enforce, can only try to persuade. Language academies can be managers or advocates. Standardization is…

Zambia is home to a complex set of language practices, which involve languages being used in different ways across social contexts. Historically written communication has typically been associated with English with African languages mainly associated with used spoken contexts. Recently, however, there has been a shift in this pattern with African…

This paper constitutes an edited transcript of two online panels, conducted with four scholars whose complementary expertise regarding print literacy and migration offers a thought-provoking and innovative window on the representation of print literacy in applied linguistic research and in migration policy. The panel members are experts on…

A national language policy reflects how a state looks at the languages used by its people. It assigns certain roles to languages, and addresses the issues of language education and language of education. Pakistan, a multilingual country, has yet no language policy at national level. This absence of policy has caused many issues, including the…

Federal law requires school health leaders to ensure meaningful access to language resources to promote optimal health and education outcomes. This paper aims to inform all stakeholders, including decision-makers, about the importance of developing language access plans and policies. Multiple sources and legal guidelines provide a comprehensive…