Chinese Language Planning Research

Author: Yao Yaping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: This research comprehensively applies theories and methods from linguistics, language planning, sociology, ethnology, political science, and cultural studies. It integrates fundamental theories of language planning with China's language planning practices, proposing and defining several key concepts in the field. It constructs a basic theoretical framework for China's language planning. The study thoroughly discusses the fundamental nature, research objects, actors, main contents, key challenges, and goals of language planning. Language planning is a public function of the state, with its primary research focus on national languages and national language issues, and its main actors are governments. Its operational methods involve language policies and laws. The challenge lies in addressing language differences among various social groups within the country, while the emphasis and core are on managing and coordinating these language relationships through the formulation and implementation of public policies such as language laws and regulations. This research establishes a new perspective for the study of language planning and develops an analytical framework for national languages, government actions, and language relationships. Through this perspective and framework, it clearly reveals the nature and characteristics of language planning, describes the landscape of traditional Chinese language planning, comprehensively explores the historical changes in China's language and writing systems and language life since modern times, and highlights the role of language planning in these changes. The study also describes contemporary Chinese language life and provides a new summary of the new challenges and tasks facing China's language planning in the modern era. By examining the nature, history, and current issues of China's language planning, this research achieves two major innovations: First, it repositions the logical starting point of language planning by examining the language issues faced by the state from the perspective of theory and reality. Second, it repositions the academic focus of language planning by studying the alliances among multiple languages within the same social community from the perspective of language and society.