National languages and

language planning
Presented by:
Md. Mehedi Hassan
ID: 201-10-518
Section: A
Daffodil International University
 A case of stable broad Diglossia

• Paraguay provides a clear case of stable

broad diglossia, with Spanish and Guaraní.
• Here Spanish is used in formal contexts and
Guaraní is felt to be the language which best
expresses their distinctive culture and traditions.
National and Official languages
A national language is the language of a political, cultural and
social unity. It is generally developed and used as a symbol of
national unity. Its functions are to identify the nation and unite its
people. (affective/ideological dimension)

An official language , by contrast, is simply a language which

may be used for government business. Its function is primarily
utilitarian rather than symbolic.
It is possible, of course, for one language to serve both
functions.
National and official languages
• In multilingual countries, the government often declares a
particular language to be the national language for political
reasons.
• Where this national language cannot serve all the internal
and external functions of government business, however, it has
then been necessary to identify one or more official languages
as well.
National and official languages
The identification of official languages may also be necessary
when the choice of national language is problematic.
In multilingual India, for example, attempts to give Hindi sole
status as the national language have not succeeded.
 Official status and minority languages
Many minorities would like to gain official status for their
languages, but the costs in terms of providing services and
information in all official languages are considerable, and most
governments count them carefully.
 Official status and minority languages
• An example of a minority language to be official is Maori. Maori
was declared an official language of New Zealand in 1987.
What price a national language?

In earlier centuries, the national language of a political entity

often emerged naturally and relatively unselfconsciously over a
period of time. English in England, French in France, Japanese in
Japan, Spanish in Spain seem obvious examples.
What price a national language?
The number increased dramatically, especially in the nineteenth
century as linguistic nationalism in Europe grew.
The number has almost doubled again in the twentieth century
with the emergence of colonized countries from colonial rule into
independent nation-states.
 What price a national language?
• In the struggle to establish a distinct
national identity, and to secure independence
from colonial rule, the development of a
national language has often played an
important part.
• The symbolic value of a national language
as a unifying rallying point in the fight for
independence was quickly appreciated in
countries such as Tanzania, where more than
120 languages are spoken.
What price a national language?
Where there is a single dominant group, the issue of which language
to choose as the official language to represent the nation generally
doesn’t arise.
Somali is the first language of 90 per cent of the people of Somalia
and the national official language of the country.
Danish is the national language of Denmark, and the first language
of 98 percent of the people.
 What price a national language?
Numerical dominance is not always what counts, however.
Political power is the crucial factor. In multilingual countries, the
significance of political power in the choice of national language is
particularly clear.
The choice of Tagalog reflected
the political and economic power of
its speakers who were concentrated
in the area which included the
capital, Manila.
What price a national language?
There are some exeptions like Indonessia where they did not
selected the language of political and social elite or African
countries who have avoided selecting just one language as the
national language.
Planning for a national official language
What is involved in developing a code or variety (whether dialect
or language) so that is suitable for official use involves issues
relating to the form of the variety, the functions it serves, and the
attitudes that people hold towards it
Planning for a national official language
There are generally four interrelated steps:

1. Selection
2. Codification
3. Elaboration
4. Securing its acceptance (implementation)
Planning for a national official language
CASE 1: Tanzania
Planning for a national official language
I. Selecting a code: Swahili

II. Codifying and elaborating Swahili

III. Attitudes to Swahili

Planning for a national official language
CASE 2: Norway
I. Selecting a code
Bokmål and Nynorsk
II. Codification and elaboration

III. Acceptance