Language Planning & Four Stages of Language Planning
Introduction
The fact that there are between 6000 to 8000 oral languages and only about 200 states in the world means that most states are multilingual and multicultural. It is equally important that in most (but not all) states there is usually only one ‘national’ language. In addition, provinces have organized their geographical language, such as, in Pakistan ‘Urdu’ is the national language and the other four languages (Sindhi, Punjabi, Balochi and Pashto) are provincial languages and these languages remain silent with to the national language in the state. Language planning plays an important role in describing the status of any language, because of this reason language conflicts within the community are controlled peacefully.
Language Planning
It is a deliberate effort to influence function (national/official), structure (revise the spelling system) and acquisition of a language within a speech community, for instance, it is usually the function of the government or other influential bodies to decide which variety is named official and which one is not. Furthermore, language planning makes not only decisions but even possible linguistic changes for communication improvement.
Aims of Language Planning
The most important aim is to communicate and build an ideal society based on mutual intelligibility. Another, language planning supports language shift (replacement of language by another), and language assimilation (addition of a language to be side by side with the first language).
Four Stages of Language Planning
1. Status Planning
Status planning is the type of language planning executed primarily by government officials. Politicians may wish to elevate a local language by making it an official language or demoralize a group of people by discouraging its use. It deals with the functions of language. Therefore, language planners promote a given variety of languages to be the standard language (a movement from a dialect to a language). Similarly, language planners of Pakistan identified important aspects of the Urdu language in the independence of the country and declared it as a national language.
Language of leaders
Language of Muslims
Language of Allama Iqbal Poetry
Mutual language of south Asia region
2. Language Corpus Planning
It consists of introducing changes to the structure of a given language, modernising the lexis, revising the grammar, and reviewing the spelling system. It is usually undertaken by language experts to develop language, so, it can serve the best users. New things are discovered, therefore, it is important to update language.
For instance
The vocabulary of the English language is continuously changing than other languages, and language planners are introducing names for everything that comes into the market.
Use of shall has been limited to formal papers such as court papers, applications, etc.
The spelling of old English has been revised, for instance
Ye = you
Wif = wife
Wourld = world
3. Language Acquisition/ Educational Planning
It is about decisions of which languages will be taught at schools as academic languages, second languages or foreign ones. Acquisition planning is carried out by government officials or private organizations that control textbook and dictionary publications. To maintain educational curriculum language planners sole language in education policy.
Language planners mentioned in Article 251 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973.
A. The national language of Pakistan is Urdu, and arrangements shall be made for it being used for official and other purposes within 15 years from the commencing day.
B. The English language may be used for official purposes until arrangements are made for its replacement by Urdu.
4. Elaboration Planning
It is the functional development of language to internationalize the language. which promotes adopting a non-indigenous language to communicate easier with other nations. Throughout the twentieth century, many schools worldwide taught children English as the language of international trade and business.
Conclusion
Language planning is any attempt to change or develop a language. Therefore, Language planning can be accomplished through status, corpus, or acquisition planning.
