Ling 122: English as a World Language

1
Ling 122 English as a World Language

• Language Planning Language Policy
• Reading Wiley
• (Course Reader)

2
English for the Children (Prop 227)

• Debate
• Be it resolved that immigrant parents in the US
  should encourage their children to learn the
  language of the land as fast as possible, and
  parents should speak English with them at home.

3
Definitions

• Language planning deliberate efforts to
  influence the behavior of others with respect to
  the acquisition, structure, or functional
  allocation of their language codes
• Language policy official policies resulting from
  language planning and imposed in a deliberate
  attempt to influence language behavior by means
  of official codes

4
Types of Language Planning

• Corpus planning activities such as coining new
  terms, reforming spelling and adopting a new
  script
• the creation of new forms,
• the modification of old ones, or
• the selection from alternative forms in a spoken
  or written code

5
Types of Language Planning

• Status Planning the recognition by a national
  government of the importance or position of one
  language in relation to others.
• The allocation of languages or language varieties
  to given functions
• Medium of instruction
• Official language
• Vehicle of mass communication
• Language of international communication
• Etc.

6
Types of Language Planning

• Acquisition Planning planning directed toward
  increasing the number of users speakers,
  writers, listeners, readers of a language
• Literacy education
• Second foreign language education efforts

7
Language Planning as Problem Solving

• Overt covert goals
• Linguistic goals
• Promotion of mass literacy
• Elimination of sexist language
• Need for technical terms
• Non-linguistic goals
• Consumer protection
• Scientific exchange
• National integration
• Political control
• Economic development
• Creation of new elites or preservation of old
  ones
• Pacification or cooption of minority groups
• Mass mobilization of national or political
  movements

8
Language Policy Planning in the U.S.

• The founders of the U.S. chose not to designate
  English as the official language
• Dominance of English was self-evident
• Respect for linguistic diversity minority
  rights
• Support for minorities who supported the
  revolution
• English has functioned as if it were the official
  language

9
History of the Status of English in the U.S.

• British Colonial Period to 1789
• English dominant among European languages
• Other immigrant languages tolerated
  differentially
• English-only practices English illiteracy
  statues imposed on slaves
• Native Americans viewed as separate subordinate
  nations
• Missionaries attempted to promote English
• 1775 Continental Congress allocated funds for
  Indian education - pacification

10
History of the Status of English in the U.S.

• 1789 1880
• Territorial expansion annexation of
  language-minority peoples
• Great tolerance for use of European immigrant
  languages
• Compulsory illiteracy laws for African Americans
  until 1865
• Pacification of Native Americans through
  education
• Some Native Americans (Cherokee) ran own schools
  achieved high levels of NL literacy biliteracy

11
History of the Status of English in the U.S.

• 1880 1930s
• Height of US imperialism (Hawaii, Philippines,
  Puerto Rico)
• Attempts at language restriction
• Height of immigration through 1920s
• WWI restrictions on use of German other
  European languages in schools
• Meyer v. Nebraska SC ruled against an
  English-only restriction on the use of foreign
  languages in Nebraska schools, but affirmed the
  states right to mandate that English be the
  common official language of instruction

12
History of the Status of English in the U.S.

• World War II present
• Civil rights movement influenced language policy
  provisions made for other languages in voting,
  education
• 1974 Lau v. Nichols Supreme Court
  acknowledged that school had to provide proactive
  means of education
• Lau remedies
• ESEA Title VII Bilingual Education Act

13
Bilingual Education Types

• Transitional
• Purpose to transition to an all-English
  curriculum
• Maintenance
• Purpose to maintain develop the first language
• Enrichment
• Purpose to develop an appreciation for fluency
  in the heritage language
• Two-way immersion
• Purpose to develop 2nd language proficiency
  among mainstream students to maintain develop
  first language proficiency among minority
  students

14
ESEA Title VII The Bilingual Education Act

• Grants to school districts for implementation of
  transitional bilingual programs (basic grants)
• Grants to IHEs for training teachers
• Grants to materials development centers to
  produce bilingual teaching materials
• Grants to Bilingual Education Service Centers to
  provide technical assistance

15
Problems with ESEA Title VII

• Conflicting goals
• Transitional v. maintenance
• Inconsistent implementation
• In use of each language
• In qualification of teachers
• Conflicting research results
• Political issues
• Distribution of resources
• Notions of the role of government (local, state,
  federal) in education

16
The English-Only Movement U.S. English

• Since 1980s reaction against linguistic
  accommodations
• 1981 S.I. Hayakawa introduced constitutional
  amendment to make English the official language
  of the U.S.
• U.S. English formed to raise funds to promote
  English-Only amendments at both state and
  national levels

17
The English-Plus Movement

• Founded in 1987
• To counteract the English-Only movement
• Purpose to preserve and promote linguistic
  cultural diversity
• Other critics of English-Only
• TESOL
• LSA
• AAAL
• NEA
• Teachers Unions

18
Criticisms of English-Only

• English-Only Movement U.S. English
• Ignore the civil rights traditions in the US
• Fail to promote the integration of
  language-minority children
• Neglect the need for American business to
  communicate with foreign markets
• Restrict governments ability to reach all
  citizens
• Attempt to disenfranchise minority citizens
• Promote divisiveness and hostility toward those
  whose 1st language is not English

19
California Propositions

• 1986 Proposition 63 declared English as sole
  official language of California
• Propsition 187 attempted to limit benefits for
  undocumented immigrants
• Proposition 209 sought to end affirmative action
  programs for underrepresented minorities
• 1998 English for the Children (Prop 227)

20
English for the Children (Prop 227)

• Rationale
• English is the language of opportunity
  dominates science, business, technology
• Immigrant parents want their children to learn
  English
• Schools have a moral obligation to teach English
• For the previous two decades, CA school have
  performed poorly in educating immigrant children,
  - high drop-out rates
• Young children acquire 2nd languages easily

21
English for the Children (Prop 227)

• Since 227, several issues have posed major
  challenges for schools parents
• It imposes English-Only instruction which is
  normally 180 days of specially designed
  instruction in English
• It doesnt allow bilingual education, unless
  language-minority parents request a waiver from
  English-only instruction and request bilingual
  education
• But still no guarantee they will receive it

22
Some Current Language Policy Issues in the U.S.

• To what extent can / should room be made for the
  existence of other languages?
• How are language minorities advantaged or
  disadvantaged by policies involving language
  rights, accommodations, or restrictions?
• What are the advantages / disadvantages of
  intergenerational language shift to English?
• How is the monolingual language majority affected
  by these language policies?
• What kinds of language policies would assist the
  English-speaking majority?