[Introduction to Language, Society and Culture]
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[Controlling Language]
Module 009 – Controlling Language
Language is a living entity that can be deconstructed and rebuilt in order to
advance all aspects of society. It is up to us to make sure that we do that. The
myth that “words can never hurt me,” must be challenged. Words are some of
the only things that can continue to inflict pain with the same poignancy
years after the fact. They are powerful, meaningful tools that shape our
everyday reality.
The creation and the use of an equitable language does not destroy anything
except for unearned privilege. It is not self-censorship, but rather a challenge
to find more accurate terms to describe people and situations. Somebody is
not acting “retarded,” they are being senseless, inane, gullible or ludicrous.
Likewise, instead of using “gay” to mean bad, try sounding like an adult and
using words like irritating, caustic, or annoying to express your thought.
Because if your method of self-expression is using somebody’s dignity and
self-worth as collateral damage then it is time to evolve beyond it.
Every generation has made their own leaps in linguistic advancement. It is
unreasonable to believe that currently we have come as far as civilized
human dialectic can possibly go. Therefore, instead of shirking the inevitable
advancement of language and society, perhaps it is time we embrace it and
pay close attention to terms that hold us back. Who knows, the life you
improve just may be your own. This module discuss about what are those
policies in language, language correctness and verbal hygiene. Through this,
people will have a guide on how to communicate effectively.
At the end of this module, you are expected to:
1. Define language policy, political correctness and verbal hygiene
2. Explain why does “controlling language” exist
3. Discuss political correctness and how it affects to our society
Definition of Language Policy
Many countries have a language policy designed to favor or discourage the use of a
particular language or set of languages.
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Although nations historically have used language policies most often to promote one
official language at the expense of others, many countries now have policies designed to
protect and promote regional and ethnic languages whose viability is threatened.
Overview
The presentation of cultural and linguistic diversity I today’s world is a major concern to
many scientists, artists, writers, politicians, and leaders of linguistic communities.
Up to one half of the 6000 languages currently spoken in the world are estimated to be in
danger of disappearing during the 21st century.
Many factors affect the existence and usage of any given human language, including the size
of the native speaking population, its use in formal communication, and the geographical
dispersion and the socio – economic weight of its speakers.
National language policies can either mitigate or exacerbate the effects of some of these
factors.
Figure 1.1 Source: [Link]
It shows that even English is the national language there are still many people does not
know how to communicate with the said language.
[Introduction to Language, Society and Culture]
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[Controlling Language]
Categorization of Language Policy Laws
▪ Assimilation policies
▪ Non – intervention policies
▪ Differentiated legal statute policies
▪ Valorization of the official language policies
▪ Sectoral policies
- Bilingualism or trilingualism policies
- Strategic multilingualism policies
Assimilation Policies
A policy of assimilation is one that uses measures to accelerate the downsizing of
one or more linguistic minority group/s. The ultimate goal of such policies is to
foster national unity inside a state (based on the idea that a single language in the
country will favor that end).
Jurisdictions having such a policy:
▪ Afghanistan
▪ Burma
▪ Indonesia
▪ Iran
▪ Iraq
▪ Kosovo (Not a state; under United Nations protectorate and officially under
sovereignty of Serbia)
▪ Pakistan
▪ Syria
▪ Thailand
▪ Vietnam
Non – Intervention Policies
A policy of non – intervention consists in choosing to allow the normal rapport
between the main linguistic group and the minorities evolve on its own. This almost
invariably favors the dominant group. Sometimes, such policies are accompanied by
administrative measures protecting certain minorities.
Jurisdictions having such a policy:
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▪ Angola – Argentina – Australia – Austria – Bangladesh – Benin – Burkina
Faso – Chile – Congo – Kinshasa – Cote d’ivoire – Cuba – Czech Republic –
Dominica – Dominican Republic – Ecuador – Gabon – Ghana – Germany –
Gibraltar – Guinea – Guyana – Northern Ireland – Jamaica – Japan –
Liechtenstein – Mali – Nebraska – Nicaragua – Saint Kitts and Nevis – Saint
Lucia – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – El Salvador – San Marino – Saudi
Arabia – Senegal – Turkey – United Kingdom – Uruguay – Venezuela –
Vermont
Differentiated legal statute policies
A policy that recognizes a different legal statute for a given language usually aims at
allowing the coexistence of multiple linguistic groups inside a state. Typically, the
majority has all its linguistic rights secured and sometimes promoted while the
minority or minorities are given special protection for their language.
Jurisdictions having such a policy:
▪ Albania – Bosnia and Herzegvina – Bulgaria – California – China – Croatia –
Estonia – European Council – Republic of Macedonia – Guatemala – Latvia –
Lithuana – Manitoba – Ontario – Netherlands – New Mexico – Paraguay –
Quebec – Protugal – Romania – Slovakia – Spain – Sweden – Wales – Yukon
Valorization of the official language policies
A policy favoring the official language is a policy of unilingualism. Sometimes, it
favors, the (or a) national language, sometime it favors colonial language which a
strong influence internationally. In some cases, such policies are accompanied by
measures recognizing and protecting minority languages or indigenous languages.
This approach may be considered in two broadly different types of situations: where
the official language is also the first language of the minority of the population, and
where it is not.
Jurisdictions having such a policy:
▪ Aland – Albania – Algeria – Andorra – Azerbaijan – Brazil – California –
Cambodia – Cyprus – Croatia – East Timor – Egypt – Estonia – France – India
– Iran – Iceland – Israel – Italy – Japan – Kuwait – Latvia – Lebanon –
Lithuania – Republic of Macedonia – Madagascar – Morocco – Mexico –
Moldova – Montenegro – North Korea – Nepal – Peru – Poland – Quebec –
Romania – Saint Pierre and Miquelon – Slovakia – Slovenia – Somalia – South
Korea – Tunisia – Ukraine – Uzbekistan – Vietnam – Voivodina
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[Controlling Language]
Sectorial Policies
▪ Bilingualism or trilingualism policies
▪ Strategic multilingualism policies
Bilingualism or trilingualism policies
A policy favoring the two official languages is a policy of bilingualism. There
are many different ways in which these policies can be applied.
Based on non – territorialized individual rights
A policy of bilingualism based on non – territorialized individual rights
recognizes the same rights to all members of a community whatever their
location on the national territory.
A language policy based on territorialized individual rights recognizes the
same rights to all members of a community within a specific region.
Based on territorial rights
A language policy based on territorial rights recognizes the same rights to all
members of a community within a specific territory.
Strategic multilingualism Policies
Based on non – territorialized individual rights
A policy of multilingualism based on non – territorialized individual
rights recognizes the same rights to all members of a community
whatever their location on the national territory.
Language Planning and Language Policy
Language is an asset and a primary instrument of human communication. It gives a
sense of identity to an individual as well as a social group. However, language can
also become a problem and a barrier to communication, which necessitates
language planning.
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Language Planning
▪ All conscious efforts that aim at changing the linguistic behavior of a speech
community.
▪ Language planning occurs in most countries by their relevant governments
wherein they have more than one language within the community.
Language Policy
▪ Language policy is sometimes used as a synonym to a language planning.
However, Language Policy refers to the more general linguistic, political and
social goals underlying the actual language planning process.
In short, “language policy” is the expression of the ideological orientations
and views, and “language planning” is the actual proposal that makes up their
implementation.
Language Planning
▪ A deliberate language change.
▪ Organized activity in order to solve language problems within a community.
▪ The proposal to express language ideologies within the community.
4 stages of Language Planning
1. Selection
2. Codification
3. Implementation
4. Elaboration
Selection – is the term used to refer to the choice of a language variety to
fulfill certain functions in a given society.
Codification – the creation of a linguistic standard or norm for a selected
linguistic code. It is divided into three stages:
1. Graphization – developing a writing system.
2. Grammaticalization – deciding on rules/norms of grammar
3. Lexicalization – identifying the vocabulary
Implementation – promoting of the decisions made in the stages of
selection and codification which can include marketing strategy, production
of books, pamphlets, newspapers, and textbooks using the new codified
standard.
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[Controlling Language]
Elaboration – refers to the terminology and stylistic development of a
codified language to meet the communicative demands of modern life and
technology. Its main area is the production and dissemination of new terms.
Political Correctness
Political correctitude avoidance of expressions or actions that can be perceived to exclude
or marginalized or insult people who are socially disadvantages or discriminated against.
PC language avoids direct “offensive” reference to gender, sexual orientation, race, religion,
occupation, vices, nationality, social class, physical appearance or condition and disabilities.
Gender:
mankind – humankind
fireman – firefighter
air hostess – flight attendant
Occupation:
garbage man – sanitation engineer
gas station attendant – petroleum transfer technician
cowboy – bovine control officer
unemployed – involuntarily leisured
housewife – domestic engineer/house maker
Social Class:
poor – economically marginalized, economically unprepared
homeless – outdoor urban dweller, residentially flexible
Age:
old – chronologically gifted
elderly people – senior citizen
senile Bag o’Bones – Alzheimer’s victim
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Sex orientation: GLBTQ2IA: The acronym for Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Transgender, Queer,
Questioning, Intersex, Allies. “This coming from the youth movement, the college campuses,
it has not seeped into the whole community at this point, “says Baim, who at the Windy City
Times uses GLBT, an acronym the New York Times has not yet seen fit to print.
Physical condition;
fat – voluptuous, mass enhanced, gravitationally challenged
bald – follicle independent, comb – free
short – vertically challenged
too tall – people of height
Race:
white – Caucasian
black – African American
Indian – aborigine/native American
Disability:
blind – photonically non – receptive, visually challenged
deaf – hearing impaired
insane people – selectively perceptive
Vices:
drug addict – chemically challenged
drunk – intoxicated
alcoholic – anti – sobriety activist
Religion:
Before Chirst (BC) – Before Common Era (BCE)
Anno Domini (AD) – After Common Era (ACC)
Christmas – non denominational winter holidays
Merry Christmas – Happy Holidays
Nationality:
Latina American, Mexican – Hispanic
Immigrant – newcomer
Foreign student – international student
[Introduction to Language, Society and Culture]
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[Controlling Language]
Politically Correct Terms for Males
He does not have a BEER GUT – He has developed a LIQUID GRAIN STORAGE
FACILITIY
He does not GET LOST ALL THE TIME – He INVESTIGATES ALTERNATIVE
DESTINATIONS
He is not BALDING – He is in FOLLICLE REGRESSION
He does not get FALLING – DOWN DRUNK – He becomes ACCIDENTALLY
HORIZONTAL
He does not act like a TOTAL ASS – He develops a case of RECTALCRANIAL
IVERSION
Politically Terms for Females
She does not hate sports on TV, She is athletically biased.
She does not have a great butt, she is gluteus to the maximus.
She does not have a big hair, she is overly aerosoled.
She does not snore, she is nasally repetitive.
She does not wear too much makeup, she is cosmetically oversaturated.
Politically Correct Terms for Students
These days, a student isn’t lazy. He’s energetically declined.”
Your homework isn’t missing. It’s just “having an out-of-notebook experience.”
You’re not late, you just have a “rescheduled arrival time”.
You don’t have a smelly gym socks, you have “odor-retentive athletic footwear”.
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You’re not shy. You’re conversationally selective”.
You were’t passing notes in class. You were “participating in the discreet exchange of
penned meditations”.
Euphemism: the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be
offensive, harsh, or blunt.
What do these terms refer to?
1. African black snake – baby maker – cervix crusader – elephant trunk – Hugo
Excalibur – John – Willy – His majesty
2. The abyss – cathedral – garage of love – glory road – velvet glove – the zone – vice
tunnel – the flower
Language as Thought Control: Newspeak and Political Correctness
▪ Theory of linguistic determinism-language provides a framework for our thoughts
and it is very difficult to think outside this framework.
▪ Politicians throughout the ages have owed much of their success to their skillful use
of rhetoric as they attempt to persuade their audience of the validity of their views.
▪ Can one control how another person thinks?
Political correctness
▪ Examples of PC terms: visually impaired, blended family (house-holds with children
from several relationships), and ethnic origin terms, such as African-American. Non-
PC terms are considered by some not only to be offensive, but to create or reinforce
a perception of minority groups as unequal to the majority.
▪ It could be argued that the use of PC language is particularly significant in relation to
disability; since many changes could be made to the way most organizations operate
which could in turn have a positive effect on the lives of people with disabilities. For
example, some people make a distinction between impairment and disability, using
impairment to refer to a condition (such as loss of vision or a limb), and disability to
refer to activities that are difficult or impossible to undertake (reading small print
or climbing the stairs).
[Introduction to Language, Society and Culture]
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[Controlling Language]
Figure 1.2 Source: [Link]
political-correctness
Political correctness is able to control and minimize the issue about
discrimination. It is necessary of a person to be very careful of the words that
they are going to throw.
Verbal Hygiene
The definition that Deborah Cameron give us of “Verbal Hygiene” is the acceptance
of a “proper” speech style.
Cameron’s Theory
▪ Surprisingly Cameron does not criticize verbal hygiene; instead, she
claims that is a way to make sense of our language and it also
represents a symbolic attempt to impose order on a social world.
▪ Cameron also addresses all language “experts” to discuss about the
“Verbal Hygiene” values in a rational and critical spirit.
Examples of Verbal Hygiene:
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The teaching of English grammar in schools
To discover where gender diversity in language comes from, we have
to look back at where it is taught, this is why Cameron decided to
analyze the teaching of the English language in grammar schools.
Apparently the “socialization process” in schools is a cause of the
“girlification”, that demonstrates that girls are more likely to use lexis
and grammar around feminine interests, whereas boys are would
have different kinds of speech habits.
Regulations of “style” by editors
Newspapers are something we are used to seeing on a daily basis.
Therefore, if editors tweak and adjust the “style” of their writing in
order for it to be accepted by our society, verbal hygiene we will part
of this world for a long time.
Politically Correct Language
In this example, the author expresses how she doesn’t like to compare
politically correct language to an euphemism, since she claims that
there is more to it than just “sensitivity”. Cameron describe it as a
form of public action, since by drawing attention to the form it forces
us to sit up and take notice on the issue. The author thinks that one of
the reasons these types of texts are so popular and successful is
because they exploit euphemism to publicly expand on taboo topics.
Advice to women on how they can speak more effectively
By presenting this as an example Cameron probably considers the
female gender to be more exposed to verbal hygiene that the male.
[Introduction to Language, Society and Culture]
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[Controlling Language]
References and Supplementary Materials
Books and Journals
Johnson, David Cassels; 2013; Language Policy: Research and Practice in Applied
Linguistics; Washington, USA; Springer
Hughes, Geoffrey; 2010; Political Correctness: A History of Semantics and Culture;
The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO198SQ, UK; Blacwell
Online Supplementary Reading Materials
National Language Policy and Its Impacts on Second Language Reading Culture;
[Link] 2013
The impact of language policy and practice on children’s learning: Evidence from
Eastern and Southern Africa;
[Link]
FullReport(SingleView).pdf; 2016
Online Instructional Videos
Language Policy. In this video it shows the definition about Language Policy;
[Link] Sept. 4, 2013
Language Policy and planning process of language planning accounting framework
for LLP Types and Approaches; [Link]
March 12, 2017
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