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4,  15,  17,  and  19  for  some  examples).  This  desire  to  effect social change is what drives the research agenda, rather than theory- building for its own sake. Theories and models have heuristic value as tools to advance our understanding of language behavior in diverse contexts. This interplay between theory and practice is what provides language  policy  research  with  a  certain  vitality,  unpredictability, and  attractiveness  as  an  area  of  research  for  persons  who  wish  to combine theoretical/methodological rigor with social advocacy. This book provides a starting point for those who wish to begin these sorts of investigations.

Theoretical Perspectives in Language Policy: An Overview

Thomas Ricento

To  begin,  the  word  “theory,”  as  Ronald  Schmidt  informs  us  in  his chapter, traces it roots to the Greek philosophers of the classical era, especially Plato and Aristotle. It comes from the Greek word theoria, which means “seeing,” as in “a place for seeing” or being a “spectator.” A  theory,  then,  is  a  statement,  or  series  of  statements,  proposed  by an individual or group of individuals, about a position on an under- standing  of  the  world  (where  “world”  encompasses  the  material and  non-material),  or  some  aspect  of  it.  Theories  can  be  focused  on a particular domain of human experience or ability (for example, the theory that the capacity for human language is an innate and highly specified faculty localized in the brain; cf. Chomsky), or it can be more abstract and general (for example, the theory that truth is constructed and reproduced in the discourses of the powerful; cf. Foucault). These examples suggest something of the range of theories about language (e.g., what it is, where it is “located,” its role in social life) that inform research  in  the  field  of  language  policy  and  planning  (LPP).  Let  us briefly  rehearse  some  of  these  theories  of,  or  about,  language  as reflected  in  the  chapters  in  this  part  of  the  book  and  consider  the implications for policy.

The assumption underlying most of the theoretical work described in  these  chapters  is  that  a  language  is  a  code  with  various  forms (written,  spoken,  standard,  non-standard,  etc.),  functions  (usually expressed  in  terms  of  domains  and  relative  status  within  a  polity), and  value  (as  a  medium  of  exchange,  with  particular  material  and non material  qualities).  Postmodern  characterizations  of  language problematize  the  idea  that  a  language  is  a  fixed  code.  Linguist  Paul Hopper (1998) (cit本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。