Language Policy

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Language policy refers to any attempt to manage what shape language takes or how it is used. Most commonly, language policy is thought of as attempts by powerful actors, like governments or educational institutions, to affect what language will be used, valued, and learned. Such decisions have serious implications for individuals, groups, communities, and societies. For example, language policies affect who has access to work, education, healthcare, the legal system, and the democratic process. As a result, the study of language policy is necessarily an interdisciplinary undertaking, bringing together insights from areas like linguistics, law, political science, economics, anthropology, sociology, history, and education. In this class, we will explore how governments and institutions attempt to manage linguistic diversity and cultivate particular types of linguistic repertoires across a variety of different settings