In this article we focus on two specific cases illustrating how similar issues have been addressed differently. Flanders, a federal state of Belgium, and the Netherlands share Dutch as an official language, yet remarkable differences in assessment traditions and policy development exist between them. These differences are most obvious with regard…

The insights of 12 foreign scholars and language scientists into the battle over making English the "de jure" official language of the United States are presented. The opinions come from England, Canada, the Philippines, the People's Republic of China, Australia, Belgium, India, and the Federal Republic of Germany. The consensus of these…

The "consociational" political system of Belgium responds to the needs of the country's three major ethnic communities: Dutch, French, and German. All decision-making power has been transferred to regional and local governments. In order to find policy decisions acceptable to all groups, most decisions are based on accommodations and…

In formulating an official language policy, a country must consider cultural, social, political and economic factors. Alternative policies on language instruction can be categorized into three groups: 1) subordination of the home language to the country's dominant language; 2) bilingual maintenance through the simultaneous provision of instruction…

The volume is one of a series of six listing language-related legislation around the world. It presents the texts, in French, of laws of the central Belgian government and of the Flemish-speaking, French-speaking, and German-speaking communities within Belgium. The laws concern official languages, language maintenance, and language use in…

The volume is one of a series of six listing language-related legislation around the world. It contains the texts, in French, of laws of Colombia, the United States federal and some state governments (California, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New York), Mexico, and Puerto Rico, and those relating to international…

The aim of this book is to investigate the motives for action on language behavior, whether this means corpus, status, or acquisition planning. It examines such questions as why individuals, groups, and governments try to influence their own or others' language behavior or language attitudes, and what drives authorities to try to control, favor,…

This paper examines efforts to save rapidly declining indigenous languages around the world. The entire process of language preservation and revitalization is a massive undertaking that requires immense long-term planning and support. These problems extend well beyond the linguistic concerns of the language itself. Language policy is inherently…