美国语言政策研究

【作者】 李英姿；

【导师】 李宇明； 马庆株；

【作者基本信息】 南开大学 ， 语言学及应用语言学， 2009， 博士

【摘要】 语言规划和政策作为一个新的学科近些年来愈发引起相关领域学者们的注意,各个国家政府和研究机构也开始重视本国语言政策的制定和施行。20世纪60年代,伴随着语言学家们帮助发展中国家和新独立国家发展语法、建立书写系统、为土著语言编写词典等活动,语言规划和政策开始作为一个独立的学术研究领域出现。20世纪80年代语言规划和政策领域因为早期的一些基本假设被质疑,因此其研究经过了一段静止期。从20世纪90年代开始,语言领域中出现的新情况刺激着语言规划和政策学科拓展原来的研究范围和重点,语言规划和政策研究重新走进了人们的视线,成为西方语言学关注的热点。语言规划和政策的研究在西方本来就是新兴学科,在中国则开展得更晚,研究成果也还不多。语言政策的制定是国家管理社会和解决政治矛盾的重要机制,特定政策在引导公众观点、引导政治能力、集中经济资源等方面可以起到一定作用。语言政策不是孤立形成的,而是重要的社会力量,诸如政治矛盾、政府变动、移民、地方经济结构的变化、全球化、精英竞争等方面互相作用的反应。本文对美国政府工作报告、法律条文等进行了细致的查阅,并辅以大量相关文献,尤其是英文文献,进行整理分析,在宏观描述的同时结合社会历史背景、发展演变、内在特点、重要思潮等方面进行综合考察,对美国从殖民时期到现在的语言政策的历史发展变化进行大体的梳理,放眼美国对移民、土著居民、外语、英语的境内境外推广等几个角度构成的立足于英语的对内对外语言政策进行横向考察,在每一个横面,根据政策的主要特征和倾向,进行历史分段的纵向考察,力图清晰描写美国语言政策的面貌,并在此基础上进行分析、解释和评价。全文共分七章。第一章,绪论。介绍语言规划和语言政策研究的大概发展脉络,界定语言规划及语言政策的概念和范围。明确本文的选题缘起、研究现状和研究意义。第二章,英语为立足点和出发点的语言政策。本章分析自殖民地时期开始直到现在英语在美国的地位以及形成原因,梳理美国语言政策的类型。第三章,从语言灭绝到语言保护——针对印第安语的语言政策。由于秉承英语优越性的观点和对印第安语言的偏见,美国一直奉行对印第安语的打击兼以英语同化的政策,直到20世纪中后期,面对印第安语的不断消亡,才开始了积极的挽救政策。虽然有人批评这种挽救为时已晚,但还是起到了一定的积极作用。第四章,始终如一的同化——针对移民的语言政策。美国是由移民构成的国家,不同的历史时期,随着美国社会对移民的态度的变化,语言政策也随之不同,有相对宽容的时期,也有极端限制的时期。本章梳理了自殖民时期开始的对移民的语言政策变化的历程,指出了同化的本质。第五章,从忽视到重视的外语教育政策。美国自建国后对外语政策始终不重视,直到20世纪的两次世界大战前后,面对新的国际形势,美国意识到外语对国家政治、经济、文化以及国家安全的重要作用,开始调整外语政策。第六章,20世纪中期以来美国的英语国际推广政策。二战以后,美国开始大力施行从民间到官方的对外推广英语政策,本章对美国英语的国际推广所采取的措施和主要特征进行分析。第七章,结语。本章总结全文内容和观点,指出研究的局限和不足。通过对美国语言政策的梳理,我们不难发现虽然美国的语言政策在利益的驱使下不断进行调整变化,但其基本立足点和出发点仍是英语,美国对内对外的语言政策无不体现了维护英语的中心地位,积极促进英语语言文化传播并同化其他语言文化的基本精神,与此同时美国语言的多样性依然存在,而这种情况将持续下去。在这个过程中语言的隐性政策和显性政策相辅相成,其中隐性力量所起的作用更大,也就是说很大程度上不是因为立法允许和权威措施的施行,也不是政府强迫同化,而是高度发达的美国社会的吸收力量使英语具备了事实上的官方语言地位。很多已有的研究都倾向于认为美国针对移民和土著不遗余力推广英语,是一种殖民主义式的掠夺和倾轧,因此批评甚至全盘否定这种以削弱甚至灭绝其他语言为代价的语言政策。本文在较系统较全面廓清美国语言政策的历史发展的同时,力求以新的视角对其解释和评价,不仅批判美国在语言政策制定方面的一些缺失,也从正面的角度肯定美国的语言政策。本文在写作过程中参阅了大量英文文献,引介了很多西方前沿的语言规划和政策的理论,这对于丰富我国的语言规划及政策的研究和实践有较一定的意义。更多还原

【Abstract】 As a new field, language planning and policy has arrested increasing attentions in resent years from scholars, governments and institutes. This dissertation begins with a brief explanation of theories on language planning and policy to lay a solid foundation for subsequent examinations on the United State’s policies. In the 1960s, linguists helped developing countries and newly independent ones establish their language grammar and writing system, and compile dictionaries for native languages, which made language planning and policy an independent academic field. As some of its basic hypotheses were questioned in the early 1980s, language planning and policy met with a period of stagnation. From 1990s on, new developments in linguistics have stimulated the extension of scope and important points of studies on LPP. As a result, LPP reclaims attentions and became a focus in linguistics in western countries. Regretfully, a new discipline in western world as it is, it didn’t appear in China until recently and little has been achieved.Establishing language policy is an important mechanism for a government’s national administration and political problems solution. It results from the interaction between some important social elements, such as political conflicts, government shift, immigrants, economic changes, globalization, competition etc. The author attempts to portrait the historical development of language policy from the colonial period to the present with references to and analysis on government work reports, law and acts, especially English literature. On the basis of the macro-descriptions on and comprehensive explorations of historical background, development, internal features and trends of thought, the author analyzes, explains and evaluates English in USA, immigrant languages, native languages, and English promotion overseas.The whole dissertation consists of seven chapters.The first chapter makes a brief review of research background of language planning and policy. The definition and scope of LPP are provided in this chapter. In addition, the existent achievements and significance of the topic in question are explained. Chapter two analyzes the status of English in the United States from colonial period to the present and explains why it came to exist. The author also summarizes the types of language policy in USA.Chapter three discusses the change of policies on indigenous languages from linguistic genocide (or lignified) to linguistic protection. Owing to the sense of superiority over and discrimination against native languages, the United States has implemented assimilation policy of the Natives into the mainstream Native American languages. It was not until the mid 20th century that due to the constant extinction of Indian languages, protective policies were employed to save and develop Native American languages though they are criticized to have come so late.The author discusses the language policy to immigrants in the United States in chapter four. According to different attitudes to immigrants in different ages, its language policies have been changed, which are held to be essentially assimilativeChapter five is devoted to foreign languages policy in USA. Foreign policy was ignored since the United States was established. Facing new international situation, USA began to realize the importance of foreign languages to politics, economics, culture and national security, hence the adjustment on its foreign languages policy.Chapter six discusses America’s promotion of English since the middle of 20th century. After WWII, it began to popularize English around the world. Measures and main features of its English promotion policy are analyzed in this chapter.Chapter seven concludes the whole dissertation and proposes for continued studies.After studies on America’s language policies, the dissertation contends that English is their foothold and starting point in spite of their constant adjustments. It helps to ensure a monolingual English-speaking society. The present American language policy advocates a subtractive policy of language assimilation for language minorities, while it encourages an additive policy of other language study for mainstream English monolinguals. Although language diversity still exists. This situation will remain in the near future. Official and unofficial policies work together in this process; nevertheless, the latter is more powerful than the former. In other words, linguistic culture of Anglo-Conformity is deeply rooted in America. Some scholars argue that preference of English to other languages in language polices is a kind of colonialism and should be criticized. The dissertation not only disapproves of them but also affirms language policies from new angles. In addition, it introduces some western popular theories on language planning and policy. Hopefully, it will shed new light on the understanding of language planning and policy.更多还原