Language Policy and

Language Planning
Language Policy
• According to Spolsky (2004),
language policy is a body of
ideas, laws, regulations, rules
and practices intended to
achieve the planned language
change in the societies, group or
system.
Bernard Spolsky
Bernard Spolsky (born in New
Zealand in 1932; died in Israel
August 20, 2022) was a professor
emeritus in linguistics at Bar-Ilan
University (Israel), specializing in
sociolinguistics, educational
linguistics, and applied linguistics.
Spolsky did his studies at Wellington
College and Victoria University.
• His theory of language policy is encompassed by
three assumptions which must be tested and
adapted.
1. Language policy is a social phenomenon
contructed in a variety of domain including school
and home.
2. Assumes the presence of three separate but
interrelated components; beliefs, practices and
management.
3. The influence of internal and external factors in
language choice.
 Language Policy

Language Practices Language Management Language Beliefs

refer to the selection of refers to the planning of refer to the reasons why
the language to be used how the selected such language was
on the policy. language policy can be chosen.
enacted and practiced.