This study examines how language planning is deployed to address security concerns. Specifically, in a Foucauldian sense, it problematises the conditions, approaches and contexts of the language planning mechanisms Israel has used to communicate with Arab speakers in Gaza, the West Bank and neighbouring Arab nations, aiming to maintain security…

Romani media and language planning gained importance as a consequence of the political emancipation of the Roma, which is mainly based on the idea of a European Roma nation with its own culture and language. Meanwhile the study of Romani has developed from an exotic into a more or less established scientific field. However, with respect to media…

In 1966, the Singapore Government implemented the English-knowing bilingual policy which made it mandatory for all Chinese students to study English as a "First Language" and the Chinese language (CL) as a "Mother Tongue Language" in Singapore schools. Using key literature relevant to Singapore's bilingual educational policy…

The recent political transformation of Nepal from a constitutional monarchy to a federal democratic republic and from a Hindu polity to a secular country has brought about some crucial changes in language planning. The Interim Constitution of Nepal has not only recognized the multilingual and multicultural reality of the country but has also…

Names function as a people's cultural heritage that links the present to the past. Hence I propose that a comprehensive study of LP for naming needs to take into account socio-political context critically. My discussion of the case of Taiwan covers two social domains affected by LP for naming. In the public domain, I examine the change in the…

Naming has been a central focus of feminist language planning. The initial emphasis was on reforming naming practices for women in public spheres (work, education, media). More recently public discourses about work/life balance have drawn together the public and private, shaping the naming practices for women and men in these domains. This paper…

This monograph examines the language planning situation in Sri Lanka with particular emphasis on the planning of Sinhala as an official language of the country. It explores the historical, social, ideological and political processes, changes in language policy decisions, as well as the complexities of the language policy and planning situation in…

This paper analyses the national policies on foreign language in primary schools in the People's Republic of China (PRC). It begins with a brief introduction to the changes in foreign language education policy and the main motives for those changes in the context of socio-political circumstances. It then examines foreign language education in…

The recent decision of Poland to introduce a mandatory starting age for early language learning from the very beginning of schooling can be viewed as part of both a global and a specifically European trend. Current statistics indicate that since 1990 approximately 60% of the nation-states of the European Union have reduced mandatory starting ages…

While advocacy of minority language rights (MLR) has become well established in sociolinguistics, language policy and planning and the wider human rights literature, it has also come under increased criticism in recent times for a number of key limitations. In this paper, I address directly three current key criticisms of the MLR movement. The…

This monograph offers an overview of the background of and current language policy and planning matters related to the language situation in Northern Ireland with reference to the full range of linguistic diversity in the polity. Particular attention is paid to the Irish language, due to the size of the Irish-speaking community in the region and…