Language policy is broad, but it can be categorized into three components.

(1) its language practices – the habitual pattern of selecting among the varieties that make up its
linguistic repertoire;

(2) its language beliefs or ideology – the beliefs about language and language use; and

(3) any specific efforts to modify or influence that practice by any kind of language intervention,
planning, or management" (p. 5).[6]

The traditional scope of language policy concerns language regulation. This refers to what a
government does either officially through legislation, court decisions or policy to determine how
languages are used, cultivate language skills needed to meet national priorities or to establish the
rights of individuals or groups to use and maintain languages.

So, in general, the conscious influence of society on language (purposeful government measures)
is language policy. The language situation in a multilingual society depends on this policy: the
government can stimulate the development of multilingualism in the state, or restrain and narrow
down the functioning of languages of non-state nations, often leading them to complete
extinction, as was the case in Germany, the USSR, and the USA. For example, as a result of
Germanization in the first half of the 18th century, the Polabian language disappeared. For the
same reasons and approximately during the same period, the Prussian language became extinct.
The same fate befell the Sorbian language, spoken by only 100,000 people today. Due to
Russification during the years of totalitarian communist rule in the USSR, over 90 languages
disappeared; some are still on the verge of extinction. In the USA, many Native American
languages disappeared.

The narrowing of functions and the dying out of languages is caused by the non-use of the native
language in schools, higher educational institutions, the mass destruction of populations in
conquered territories of large empires, the forcible displacement of indigenous inhabitants from
their ancestral territories, and so on.

The French Toubon law provides a good example of explicit language policy. The same may be said for
the Charter of the French Language in Quebec

The Toubon Law (full name: law 94-665 of 4 August 1994 relating to usage of the French
language) is a French law mandating the use of the French language in official government
publications, in all advertisements, in all workplaces, in commercial contracts, in some other
commercial communication contexts, in all government-financed schools, and some other
contexts.[1]

The law does not concern private, non-commercial communications, such as non-commercial
web publications by private bodies. It does not concern books, films, public speeches, and other
forms of communications not constituting commercial activity. However, the law mandates the
use of the French language in all broadcast audiovisual programs, with exceptions for musical
works and "original version" films.[2] Broadcast musical works are subject to quota rules under a
related law whereby a minimum percentage of television shows and 35%[3] of songs on the radio
must be in the French language

he Charter of the French Language (French: La charte de la langue française), also known in
English as Bill 101 or Law 101 (French: Loi 101), is a law in the province of Quebec in Canada
defining French, the language of the majority of the population, as the official language of the
provincial government. It is the central legislative piece in Quebec's language policy, and one of
the three statutory documents Quebec society bases its cohesion upon, along with the Quebec
Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and the Civil Code of Quebec. The Charter also protects
the Indigenous languages of Quebec.[1]

The fundamental French-language rights in Quebec are:

1. The right to have the civil administration, the health services and social services, the
public utility enterprises, the professional corporations, the associations of employees and
all enterprises doing business in Quebec communicate with the public in French. (article
2)
2. The right to speak French in deliberative assemblies. (article 3)
3. The right of workers to carry on their activities in French. (article 4)
4. The right of consumers to be informed and served in French. (article 5)
5. The right of persons eligible for instruction in Quebec to receive that instruction in
French. (article 6)