Language Ideology or Language Practice? An Analysis of Language Policy Documents at Swedish Universities

Autor/in	Björkman, Beyza
Titel	Language Ideology or Language Practice? An Analysis of Language Policy Documents at Swedish Universities
Quelle	In: Multilingua: Journal of Cross-Cultural and Interlanguage Communication, 33 (2014) 3-4, S.335-363 (29 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0167-8507
DOI	10.1515/multi-2014-0016
Schlagwörter	Language Attitudes; Swedish; Language Planning; English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; Federal Legislation; Policy Analysis; Language Usage; Universities; Language of Instruction; School Policy; Authors; Foreign Countries; Sweden + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Sprachverhalten; Schwedisch; Sprachwechsel; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Bundesrecht; Politikfeldanalyse; Sprachgebrauch; University; Universität; Teaching language; Unterrichtssprache; Schulpolitik; Author; Autor; Autorin; Ausland; Schweden
Abstract	This article presents an analysis and interpretation of language policy documents from eight Swedish universities with regard to intertextuality, authorship and content analysis of the notions of language practices and English as a lingua franca (ELF). The analysis is then linked to Spolsky's framework of language policy, namely language practices, language beliefs, values (and ideology), and language planning or management (Spolsky 2004). The results show that the language policy documents refer heavily to official documents that have as their primary aim to protect and promote the Swedish language (e.g., the Language Act 2009), which appears to have been the point of departure for the language policy work in these settings, reflecting their protectionist stance towards the local language, Swedish. Little focus is put on actual language practices in these policy documents. The description of language practices is often limited to the description of the existing situation, based on concerns about Swedish losing ground as a result of the widespread use of English. Similarly, the notion of ELF is used primarily for description of the existing situation without sufficient guidance as to how students and staff in these university settings are to use English in their everyday practices. These results bring to the fore the question of what the purpose of university language policy documents should be with reference to a speech community's everyday practices. It is suggested here that university language policy documents would benefit from taking research on actual language practices as their starting point and base their work on research on language practices, striving to provide guidance on local choices made for communicative effectiveness. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10