Language Policy in the People’s Republic of China: Theory and Practice Since 1949
Author: Minglang Zhou, Hongkai Sun
Published by Springer Netherlands
ISBN: 978-1-4020-8038-8
DOI: 10.1007/1-4020-8039-5

Table of Contents:

• Introduction: The Context of the Theory and Practice of China’s Language Policy
• Fifty Years of Script and Written Language Reform in the P.R.C.
• The Relationship between Putonghua and Chinese Dialects
• The Creation of Writing Systems and Nation Establishment
• Minority Language Policy in China
• Language Spread Versus Language Maintenance: Policy Making and Implementation Process
• Good to Hear
• Putonghua Education and Language Policy in Postcolonial Hong Kong
• On the Promotion of Putonghua in China: How a Standard Language Becomes a Vernacular
• Theorizing Over 40 Years Personal Experiences with the Creation and Development of Minority Writing Systems of China
• The Use and Development of Dai and its Vernacular Writing Systems
• The Use and Development of Tibetan in China
• The Introduction and Development of the Zhuang Writing System
• Policies on the Planning and Use of the Yi Language and Writing Systems
• Language Policy for Bai
• The Use and Development of Mongol and its Writing Systems in China
• Language Policy and Standardization of Korean in China
• Foreign Language Education in the PRC
• Language Matters in China: An Anthropological Postscript

Includes bibliographical references and index

Print version record

Context of Theory and Practice of Chinas Language Policy -Fifty Years of Script and Written Language Reform in PRC -- Relationship between Putonghua and Chinese Dialects -- Creation of Writing Systems and Nation Establishment -- Minority Language Policy in China -- Language Spread Versus Language Maintenance -- Using Trope of Standard to Find Ones Way in a Sea of Linguistic Diversity -- Putonghua Education and Language Policy in Post-Colonial Hong Kong -- On Promotion of Putonghua in China -- Theorizing over 40 Years Personal Experiences with Creation and Development of Minority Writing Systems of China -- Use and Development of Dai and Its Vernacular Writing Systems -- Use and Development of Tibetan Language in China -- Introduction and Development of Zhuang Writing System -- Policies on Planning and Use of Yi Language and Writing -- Language Policy for Bai -- Use and Development of Mongol and Its Writing Systems in China -- Language Policy and Standardization of Korean in China -- Foreign Language Education in PRC -- Language Matters in China -- Index

Language matters in China. It is about power, identity, opportunities, and, above all, passion and nationalism. During the past five decades Chinas language engineering projects transformed its linguistic landscape, affecting over one billion peoples lives, including both the majority and minority populations. The Han majority have been juggling between their home vernaculars and the official speech, Putonghua a speech of no native speakers and reading their way through a labyrinth of the traditional, simplified, and Pinyin (Roman) scripts. Moreover, the various minority groups have been struggling between their native languages and Chinese, maintaining the former for their heritages and identities and learning the latter for quality education and socioeconomic advancement. The contributors of this volume provide the first comprehensive scrutiny of this sweeping linguistic revolution from three unique perspectives. First, outside scholars critically question the parities between constitutional rights and actual practices and between policies and outcomes. Second, inside policy practitioners review their own project involvements and inside politics, pondering over missteps, undergoing soul-searching, and theorizing their personal experiences. Third, scholars of minority origin give inside views of policy implementations and challenges in their home communities. The volume sheds light on the complexity of language policy making and implementing as well as on the politics and ideology of language in contemporary China

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