Abstracts of Major Articles in This Issue

On the nature of language policy and language planning

DAI Manchun

Reflections on studies of language policies abroad

GUO Longsheng

Analysis and differentiation of four LPLP terms: Domestic and foreign perspectives

ZHANG Zhiguo

Strategic significance and ideological paradoxes in multilingual language policy of France

LI Qingqing

The change of Russian language’s status in Tajikistan: A review from the perspective of national identification

YANG Bo

New policy for Russian language diffusion in the context of globalization

MA Jihong

s of Major Articles in This Issue

On the nature of language policy and language planning

DAI Manchun

As part of social planning, language policy and language planning is multidisciplinary in nature in that there are different understandings of LPLP owing to a variety of perspectives of issues involved. This paper is an analysis of the major issues of LPLP on the basis of Western academics’ recent research and discussions, including definitions of LPLP, its development and progress, effect, rational choice model, among others, in order to unravel the nature of the field. There is evidence from research and practices in the past that LPLP is affected by such factors as time, region, politics, and society. It is argued that LPLP must cater to the needs of the time.

Reflections on studies of language policies abroad

GUO Longsheng

Several books have been published in China that focused on the studies of language policies abroad. A careful analysis of these books and their characteristics offered evidence for the current situation, characteristics, theoretical values and practical significance, as well as problems of the studies of language policies abroad. On the basis of the above analysis, the author made predictions concerning the future directions of such studies in China.

Analysis and differentiation of four LPLP terms: Domestic and foreign perspectives

ZHANG Zhiguo

Language policy and language planning (LPLP) is such a young and growing discipline that there occur four terms for this discipline: language policy, language planning, language policy and language planning, and language planning and language policy. Besides, language policy and language planning are being understood slightly differently in China and abroad. Accordingly, this paper is to differentiate these terms on the basis of the trajectory of LPLP development and the specific understandings in China and abroad, and then to test the differentiations of these terms via quantitative approaches,and finally to put forward the suitable ways in choosing and using these terms.

Strategic significance and ideological paradoxes in multilingual language policy of France

LI Qingqing

Language policy in France has witnessed a shift from its early strict Frenchmonolingualism to relatively loose multilingualism, which appears to demonstrate a profound change in its French nationalist ideology and policy. However, a closer study displays many ideological paradoxes underlying this change, offering evidence for the invariant functioning of underlying Jacobinist principle “one country, one nation, one language”. The insincerity and inconsistency in French multilingual language policy shift clearly reveal a fact that policy change is essentially only a disguised strategy and a political gesture against internal and external multilingual and multicultural appeals.

The change of Russian language’s status in Tajikistan: A review from the perspective of national identification

YANG Bo

Focusing on the role and status of the Russian language in contemporary Tajikistan,this paper aims at exploring its legal status in this country from the historical perspective of Russia-Tajikistan cultural exchanges, and attempts to elaborate its role in current Tajikistani society, and the change of its status revealed by Russia-Tajikistan relations. In brief, the change of Russian’s status in this country not only reflects Tajikistan’s process of uplifting the national identification of Tajik, the major ethnic group of this country,and reviving its mainstream ethnic culture, but also epitomizes the transition of Russia-Tajikistan relations.

New policy for Russian language diffusion in the context of globalization

MA Jihong

In the process of rapid globalization and development of technology, Russia has made a series of measures for the Russian language diffusion. This paper describes the language policy of Russia in three aspects: (1) strengthening the status of Russian language in the Russian Federation by Education Law of the Russian Federation and implementing “Federal Target Program Russian Language in 2011-2015”; (2) enforcing Russian Language Test at the federal level and standard tests for foreign residents; (3)promoting the Russian language overseas through organizations like Russia World Foundation and International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature.