Language Planning and Social Change

By Robert L. Cooper

Book Overview

This book describes the ways in which politicians, church leaders, generals, leaders of national movements and others try to influence our use of language. Professor Cooper argues that language planning is never attempted for its own sake. Rather it is carried out for the attainment of nonlinguistic ends such as national integration, political control, economic development, the pacification of minority groups, and mass mobilization. Many examples are discussed, including the revival of Hebrew as a spoken language, feminist campaigns to eliminate sexist bias in language, adult literacy campaigns, the plain language movement, efforts to distinguish American from British spelling, the American bilingual education movement, the creation of writing systems for unwritten languages, and campaigns to rid languages of foreign terms. Language Planning and Social Change is the first book to define the field of language planning and relate it to other aspects of social planning and to social change. The book is accessible and presupposes no special background in linguistics, sociology or political science. It will appeal to applied linguists and to those sociologists, economists and political scientists with an interest in language.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521336414
• ISBN13: 9780521336413
• Release Date: January 1990
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Barking up the right tree?

Language Planning and Social Change delivers a powerful message. Its varied examples have impact. Its definition of language planning distills our understanding of the subject, leading us in a direction that may one day produce a viable theory. Cooper's willingness to step outside of the world of linguistics gives us a fresh view, reminding us that language does not exist in a vacuum, that it functions as part of a social system. Dividing that social system into elites, counterelites, and the masses may appear too simplistic to some, but simplicity seems to hold the key to understanding Cooper's vision. In terms of language planning, Cooper may be barking up the wrong tree, but at least he's barking up some tree! If more people keep barking, maybe one day we'll have a workable theory of language planning and social change!