How language planning theory can assist first-language teaching

Alan Davies

pp. 157-175

in: Olga Mišeska Tomić, Roger W. Shuy (eds), The relation of theoretical and applied linguistics, Berlin, Springer, 1987

Abstract

Language planning is concerned with the principled and efficient distribution of language resources at the national level. Planning is undertaken at both the macro and micro levels: at the macro level it is concerned with official policy formulation by authorities in political control and therefore with resource specification, management, allocation, and cultivation at national and, where appropriate, local levels; the point to emphasize is that language planning is a state activity. At the micro level language planning is concerned with resource accuracy, precision and efficacy and is sometimes given the name of language engineering. The macro level concerns such issues as the choice of national and official languages, decisions as to monolingual, bilingual and multilingual policies, institutional language use (for example in Parliament, the law courts, education), the allocation of funding to various language programs and groups, with consequent support for teaching minority languages. The micro level is primarily concerned with codification issues such as the preparation of dictionaries, with the writing of grammars and with other factors concerned with the description of a standard language. The macro area concerns include the decision as to which code to select as standard language whereas the micro area is wholly concerned with the description and definition of the standard language.