Language Policy最新文献

For centuries, Ukraine has been a site of conflicts over language rights. During 70 years of Soviet leadership, Ukraine experienced’relentless Russification’ (Reznik in Language of conflict: discourses of the Ukrainian crisis (pp. 169–191). Bloomsbury Publishing, London, 2020 p. 170). After breaking from Soviet rule, the Ukrainian language became an increasingly powerful symbol and means of national identity. Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the language issues have gained yet more public and political attention. Addressing the urgency, the Ukrainian parliament adopted, in the first reading, Bill 7633, aiming to restrict the use of any Russian sources in Ukrainian school and academia, a bill that was met with criticism and experienced intensified debates. This article analyses a range of text sources (both governmental and non-governmental) debating Bill 7633, using Discourse Analysis, and reveals how ‘liberal values’ and ‘lived liberalism’ (Fedirko et al. in Social Anthropol/Anthropol soc 29(2):373–386, 2021) are practiced or violated through problematising or justifying the Bill. Thus, the article contributes to the (recently emerged, i.e. since the start of Russian annexation of the Crimea in 2014) body of research on political and public discourses of the Ukrainian conflict (Epstein in Studies in East Eur Thought 74(4), 475–481; Jones, 2020; Lanvers and Lunyova in Eur J Lang Policy 15(1), 25–68; Slobozhan et al. in Soc Netw Anal Min 12(1), 1–12, 2022). Results show a comprehensive range of arguments both for and against Bill 7633 in both governmental and non-governmental texts which is interpreted as a form of liberalism in fragments (Fedirko in Social Anthropol/Anthropol Soc, 29(2), 471–489, 2021). The conclusion debates the unreserved applicability of western conceptualisation of liberal language policy in the context of war and prolonged linguistic contestations.

Ethiopia, with no colonial language legacy, adopted English medium instruction (EMI) policy with the establishment of its first higher education institution, University College of Addis Ababa, over seven decades ago. Over the last two decades, the country has significantly expanded its higher education institutions (HEIs) to increase skilled human capital that contributes to economic growth and alleviating poverty. The expansion of HEIs has inevitably increased English taught programmes, which means universities must teach entirely through English presenting myriad issues as most students, especially in rural Ethiopia, have limited English proficiency. This study aims to explore higher education policy statements and how these policy statements were interpreted in public universities’ mission statements. The study further examines language support policy for effective implementation of EMI policy. Data gathered from publicly available Ministry of Education and universities’ official websites were analysed using qualitative content analysis. In our analysis we identified two language-relevant key concerns: English language support and internationalisation. The study uncovered a gap in the statements concerning provision of English language support, despite research evidence and government acknowledgement of students’ and teachers’ weaknesses in the language of instruction. The findings of this study call for Ethiopian universities to focus more on improving provision of targeted language support for students experiencing language-related challenges, and for policymakers to rethink monolingual EMI policy, to raise the quality of education in such contexts.

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the implementation of the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) policy by public elementary teachers in the Philippines through a case study approach. Specifically, the study sought to examine how three elementary teachers in one public school institution distinctively implement the MTB-MLE policy in their classrooms. The study used a qualitative research design, specifically in-depth individual interviews with the selected teachers, to gather rich data about their experiences and practices in implementing the policy in order to shed light on the actual classroom practices of teachers in implementing the MTB-MLE policy, which has been mandated by the government to promote language and literacy development among young learners. The outputs of this study engage deeply with practices and experiences of selected teachers implementing the MTB-MLE policy. Key challenges include the scarcity of ready printed materials for MTB-MLE, perceptions of MTB-MLE as an additional subject burden, struggles with translating technical terms into local dialects, and the complexity of the policy itself. Opportunities identified include the potential for fostering deeper cultural connections among students, enhancing comprehension through native language instruction, and the pivotal role of parents in the MTB-MLE process. Considering these insights, this study advocates for the development of more localized learning materials, refining the policy to reduce perceived burdens, and initiatives to involve parents and address any negative attitudes. The implications of this research can influence policy and practice in education, improve instructional quality, and boost the language and literacy development of young learners in the Philippines. Further, this research contributes to refining Spolsky’s (Spolsky, Language policy, Cambridge University Press, 2004) theory of language policy, suggesting that it should incorporate the diverse linguistic resources available to actors, acknowledging status and hierarchies among languages. The study highlights the various considerations that may shape language preferences, proposing that a more illustrative language policy theory should prominently feature both the managers and those subject to the policy.

In this paper, we draw on raciolinguistic ideologies and chronotopes to critique career readiness, a race-evasive educational policy discourse that purportedly benefits all students, as grounded in white linguistic ideologies. Drawing on critical discourse analysis, we analyze state-level career readiness policy documents from Pennsylvania and interviews with teachers and administrators from an ethnographic study at a career and technical education center. Findings show how educators reproduce notions of career readiness as an implicit endorsement of white linguistic norms, informed by standard language ideology, which delegitimizes the linguistic practices of racialized speakers. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for school systems to move toward more inclusive and equitable educational policies and practices for English learners in U.S. schools.