Between 2003 and 2006, the Gairaigo Committee, part of the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics (NINJAL), released the Proposal for paraphrasing loanwords, which advocates the...Show moreBetween 2003 and 2006, the Gairaigo Committee, part of the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics (NINJAL), released the Proposal for paraphrasing loanwords, which advocates the usage of Japanese paraphrases for 176 poorly understood loanwords. In the creation of this proposal, the committee prioritized an emphasis on the function of language (i.e., communication problems caused by loanwords) rather than an emphasis on tradition (i.e., ideological issues caused by loanwords). While this is true on an official level, an interview with a key member of the former committee suggests the conceivability that some of its members personally feared the corruption of the Japanese language and culture by loanwords. This outcome has led to an analysis of how Yomiuri Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun, two ideologically distinct newspaper companies represented in the committee, have dealt with the loanwords in NINJAL’s proposal. The research mainly involved a diachronic study of the words between 1995 and 2019 and a comparison of the two newspapers in this regard. The target words show significant differences according to newspaper, as there is an overall tendency of increasing usage in (the more progressive) Asahi Shimbun, while (the more conservative) Yomiuri Shimbun shows a decrease. However, in many cases, it is difficult to associate these changes with NINJAL’s proposal directly. The analysis concludes that there is no clear indication for a relation between the implementation of loanword policy and political ideology.Show less
Research master thesis | Linguistics (research) (MA)
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The reality in many cities across the world today is one of multilingualism (Kraus & Grin, 2018; Smakman & Heinrich, 2018). Municipalities need to deal with this linguistic superdiversity...Show moreThe reality in many cities across the world today is one of multilingualism (Kraus & Grin, 2018; Smakman & Heinrich, 2018). Municipalities need to deal with this linguistic superdiversity to be able to communicate with their citizens and to navigate inhabitants’ linguistic needs (Blommaert & Rampton, 2001; Kraus & Grin, 2018; Skrandies, 2016). There is a relative lack of research into municipal language policy, while it can have a profound impact on citizens’ lives and sociolinguistic identities (Backhaus, 2012; Siiner, 2014; Skrandies, 2016). The Hague, as the third largest city in The Netherlands, is a prime, but understudied example of such a multilingual reality and associated municipal language policy and politics (Tieken-Boon van Ostade, 2019). Moreover, allegedly, The Hague is the most segregated city in The Netherlands (Cornips et al., 2018), which makes issues of language policy, politics, and practice all the more prominent and interesting to investigate. Therefore, I examined two research questions: what are the language policy and politics regarding multilingualism in The Hague and how are these reflected in practice in municipal signage? The analysis takes a sociolinguistic and language policy perspective to answer these questions and is threefold: it consists of a Corpus Analysis of the language policy and politics of the current municipal council, a Critical Discourse Analysis of two language policy documents, and a Linguistic Landscape analysis of municipal signs in the city. The results of all three analyses indicate that the municipality focuses mostly on the acquisition and use of Dutch and generally describes multilingualism negatively, instead of as a resource. More specifically, the multilingualism of citizens who are already disadvantaged is viewed as an obstacle, while the multilingualism of so-called expats and internationals is embraced. This points to a social divide in The Hague based on socioeconomic class, language, and ethnic background, and is indicative of language ideologies about nationalism and economics (Skrandies, 2016).Show less
This thesis conceptualises the language policy development in Ukraine in the aftermath of the Euromaidan revolution. It evaluates how the recent language bills in the country, that aim to...Show moreThis thesis conceptualises the language policy development in Ukraine in the aftermath of the Euromaidan revolution. It evaluates how the recent language bills in the country, that aim to strengthen the Ukrainian language, affect the Russian-speaking community in Ukraine. This is assessed through the conduction of a survey in Kharkiv, inquiring about the national identification of young Russian speakers living in the city.Show less
This paper is a study on the changing of language policies in Morocco, from French colonial time in 1912 to the present time, which intends to explore how the linguistic map of Morocco is shaped by...Show moreThis paper is a study on the changing of language policies in Morocco, from French colonial time in 1912 to the present time, which intends to explore how the linguistic map of Morocco is shaped by different language polices during the past one hundred years. By exploring the evolution of Moroccan language policy, this paper aims at examining the ramifications of language policy changing in Morocco, more precisely, the problems that Moroccans confronted throughout the process of language policy changing.Show less
In Japan, public attitudes towards loanwords are not necessarily positive. However, the country does not have a language regulating governmental body that makes a great effort to translate the...Show moreIn Japan, public attitudes towards loanwords are not necessarily positive. However, the country does not have a language regulating governmental body that makes a great effort to translate the continuously growing amount of western terminology into Japanese. This seeming inconsistency can be attributed to a combination of circumstances. Firstly, those undesirable outlooks towards loanwords have not necessarily formed a trigger for language policy in Japan. Secondly, language policy in Japan has had a clear emphasis on practical matters (e.g. communication) in recent decades and is seldom ideology-based. Thirdly, the current situation in Japan becomes clearer from the perspective of its history, geography, law and the linguistics of its language.Show less
This thesis is about the viability of the Evenki language in China and Russia, and the influence of the language policies in the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) and the PRC (People's...Show moreThis thesis is about the viability of the Evenki language in China and Russia, and the influence of the language policies in the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) and the PRC (People's Republic of China). Evenks are originally Siberian people, who currently live in China and Russia. During the communist period the use of the language has declined. This thesis compares both language policies and draws conclusions about to what extent both languages policies have influenced the viability of the language in both countries.Show less
Currently, there are three main systems of rōmaji that are used in Japan (Gottlieb 2010, 78), although oftentimes these systems are mixed or slightly modified by their users, as this thesis will...Show moreCurrently, there are three main systems of rōmaji that are used in Japan (Gottlieb 2010, 78), although oftentimes these systems are mixed or slightly modified by their users, as this thesis will demonstrate. With these various ways to transliterate the Japanese language, one might expect that confusion occurs in the actual use of romanization. In fact, many researchers have written in support of or against certain systems of romanization. In this thesis, I will consider the issue of romanization against the backdrop of Japan’s language and education policy and the attitudes of the users of romanization. I will examine whether and to what extent the existence of multiple romanization systems is problematic, and to see whether (if at all desired) a solution can be proposed.Show less
Elsbeth Locher-Scholten in Ethiek in Fragmenten argued that the political struggle for the political future of the Dutch East Indies (hereafter ‘the DEI’) was fought during the course of the...Show moreElsbeth Locher-Scholten in Ethiek in Fragmenten argued that the political struggle for the political future of the Dutch East Indies (hereafter ‘the DEI’) was fought during the course of the Ethical Policy. During this period, Leiden professors advocated the principle of association which was defined by Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje as “the emergence of a Dutch state, consisting of two parts, separated geographically but spiritually and intimately connected, one in North-West Europe and the other in South-East Asia.” Snouck Hurgronje suggested that, in order to run the principle of association, the Netherlands should introduce Western education and culture to indigenous people of the DEI. Language is a significant component of education and culture, and in this case it was a means of introducing Western education and culture to indigenous people of the DEI. This background supports this paper in its investigation of the development of ideas regarding language policy—the use of a particular language or set of languages—in the DEI, that were conveyed and discussed during the course of the Ethical Policy. This paper intends to contribute to the study of language policy in the DEI by concentrating on the development of ideas during the course of the Ethical Policy by addressing a main research question: “How did ideas regarding language policy in the DEI develop during the course of the Ethical Policy?” In order to answer the research questions, this paper examines ideas regarding language policy in the DEI, which were mainly conveyed throughout several congresses namely: (1) het Nederlandsche Taal- en Letterkundig Congres (the Dutch Language and Literary Congress), (2) het koloniaal onderwijscongress (the Colonial Education Congress), and (3) het Indonesisch jeugdcongres or (the Indonesian Youth Congress). Each congress was designed to represent the main ideas conveyed by groups of scholars, educators, and Indonesian nationalists. This paper also makes use of relevant official documents to examine language policy in the DEI within the DEI government itself. The conclusions of this paper are (1) the continuity of the developing ideas regarding language policy in the Indies during the Ethical Policy demonstrates no fundamental change in the ethical mentality, which to a great degree would ultimately benefit the Netherlands; (2) The ethical mentality was arguably not the rationale behind the promotion of the Indonesian language as the national language of the Indies by Indonesian nationalists; and (3) The Dutch language was not the primary motive that encouraged the nationalists to promote the Indonesian identity.Show less
The increasing dominance of English has given rise to various language attitudes and government measures attempting to curb the influence of English on the first language. France is a paradigmatic...Show moreThe increasing dominance of English has given rise to various language attitudes and government measures attempting to curb the influence of English on the first language. France is a paradigmatic case of language planning and language policy, and even today many of the measures are still in place as to ensure that the usage of English is kept to a minimum. This thesis investigates the attempts by the French government to limit the use of English in the public domain, and asks the question whether these attempts have an impact on the acquisition of English as a second language in France. By examining not only the historical origins of France’s language management, but also the current dissemination of opinions and attitudes in the media, it can be concluded that many of the negative effects emanating from the government measures, such as relatively low English proficiency, are the result of France’s unchanged linguistic culture predating the French Revolution that continues to fuel France’s language policy today.Show less
