BOOK REVIEWLANGUAGE PLANNING AND EDUCATION

Reviewer

Rajan PoudelM Phil (ELE)

Kathmandu University

ABOUT THE BOOK

Book: Language Planning and Education

Author: Gibson Ferguson

Europe, North America, Africa, and AsiaThe global spread of English

Date of Publication: 2006

Publication: Edinburgh University Press

City: Edinburgh

BACKGROUND

Focuses on educational aspects of language planning

Consists of seven chapters, followed by a brief chapter with discussion questions and further reading suggestions.

Claims that language planning/language policy is an interdisciplinary field with a very wide scope, geographically as well as conceptually through this book.

CHAPTER ONETHE DISCIPLINE OF LANGUAGE PLANNING:

A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

establishes the language planning is one of the pertinent issues in academia,

talks about the sudden rebirth of language planning and policy at the beginning of the twenty first century,

provides a historical overview of developments within the discipline over the last fifty years,

views the ideological reorientations in the discipline includes a widening scope like top-down policy and bottom-up processes,

Finally, this chapter discusses the language planning is a more interdisciplinary approach that takes account of political, social, economic and ideological dimensions.

CHAPTER TWO THE PRACTICE OF LANGUAGE PLANNING: AN

OVERVIEW OF KEY CONCEPTS

introduces more constructivist view of nations as imagined communities and national standard languages as ideological constructs

discusses the key concepts of the discipline; corpus and status planning, standardization, codification and linguistic purism.

CHAPTER THREE EDUCATIONAL AND POLITICAL DIMENSIONS OF

BILINGUAL EDUCATION: THE CASE OF THE UNITED STATES

analyses the debate concerning the schooling of language minority students in the US

gives information about different bilingual education, political aspects, debate within the out of school and socio-political context.

examines the major arguments based on national unity and social justice,

concludes that the debate is not about language but about contrasting understandings of the nature of society and its identity.

CHAPTER FOUR MINORITY LANGUAGES AND LANGUAGE

REVITALIZATION

is related with the situation of minority languages in Europe after the 1992

deals with the topics of language endangerment and revitalization

lists out the sociological and sociolinguistic causes of language death,

critically discusses the arguments for the preservation of global linguistic diversity especially ecology of language and identity arguments

Socio-political, and economic factors causes the revival of language

CHAPTER FIVE THE GLOBAL SPREAD OF ENGLISH: CAUSE, AGENCY, EFFECTS AND POLICY RESPONSES

focuses on causes and effects of the global spread of English, considering the impacts on other languages, cultures, and inequalities

concentrates on an emergent theme like language policy alone cannot contain the spread of English

issue of globalization of English and with its causes and effects are also discussed

deconstructs Phillipson (2003) linguistic imperialism thesis as a top-down theory of language spread which ignores the ways in which English has been appropriated and denies agency to speakers in the periphery.

his final assessment is “it is simple, unsatisfactory explanation for the ongoing spread of English as a global lingua franca”

CHAPTER SIX NEW ENGLISHES AND TEACHING

MODELS: THE CONTINUING DEBATE

discusses about New Englishes and norms and models for English language teaching in the age of global English

addresses the issues of intelligibility, identity, practicality and acceptability, and reaches on the conclusion

talks the distinction between spoken and written language

evokes for alternative teaching models of English to educate the local varieties

CHAPTER SEVEN LANGUAGE EDUCATION POLICY AND THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION ISSUE IN POST-

COLONIAL AFRICA

returns to the issue: the medium of instruction, and specifically the role of pupils’ home languages in the educational process

discusses the choice of instructional medium is the key issue in language planning in education.

claims that it is also a highly controversial one for the use of English and other former colonial languages to be restricted in favor of a greater role for particular national languages

Finally, he seems in favor of bilingual education, medium of instruction in the bilingual country.

CRITICAL WRAPPING UP criticizes to the process of globalization, tries to empower the ethnic, minority languages encourages the minorities and rationalizes to

preserve the cultural treasures which are the assets of human beings

one of the best book: language planning and policy

provides contextual examples which thoroughly visualizes the particular context specific scenario.

MY RECOMMENDATION

It helps to minimize the current hot and fire debate of “Medium of instruction either English or mother tongue” in educational scenario or Nepali academia

Thank You