Cover not available

Article published In: Journal of Language and Politics
Vol. 10:3 (2011) ► pp.436–456

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload PDF
authorization required

Language, rights and the language of language rights

The need for a new conceptual framework in the political theory of language policy

 | University of Montreal
Published online: 31 October 2011
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.10.3.07pel
It is only in recent years, after a surprising long period of neglect, that political theorists began to engage with the evident normative dimension of policymaking on language. Within the body of literature that has emerged in this process, the conceptual framework of language rights maintains a central position. The article examines this emerging debate on language rights, and identifies both advantages and drawbacks of committing the debate on normative language policy primarily to the language of rights. While recognising the valuable contribution of the refined analytical tools of political theory to the debate on normative language policy, it raises concerns about its relatively limited engagement with linguistics and sociolinguistics as distinct fields of inquiry, and therefore the adequacy and relevance of the work it produces. The article argues for the need to develop a new conceptual framework for normative language policy, and concludes with an outline for a more informed theory-building process.
References (79)
References
Abley, Mark. 2003. Spoken Here: Travels among Threatened Languages. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
Ager, Dennis. 1999. Identity, Insecurity and Image: France and Language. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2001. Motivation in Language Planning and Language Policy. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Brett, Annabel S.. 1997. Liberty, Rights and Nature: Individual Rights in Later Scholastic Thought. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Billig, Michael. 1995. Banal Nationalism. London: Sage.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Castiglione, Dario and Chris Longman. (eds.). 2007. The Language Question in Europe and Diverse Societies: Political, Legal and Social Perspectives. Oxford: Hart Publishing.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cohen, Marcel. 2006. In Search of a Lost Ladino: A Letter to Antonio Saura. Jerusalem: Ibis.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cormack, Mike and Niahm Hourigan. (eds.). 2007. Minority Language Media: Concepts, Critiques and Case Studies. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Crystal, David. 2000. Language Death. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2008. The linguistic territoriality principle. A critique. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 25(2), 105–120. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Fishman, Joshua. 2006. Do Not Leave Your Language Alone. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Freeland, Jane. 2004. Linguistic rights and linguistic survival in a Creole space: Dilemmas for Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast creoles. In: Jane Freeland and Donna Patrick (eds.). Language Rights and Language Survival. Manchester: St. Jerome Publishing, 103–138.
Freeland, Jane and Donna Patrick. 2004. Language rights and language survival: Sociolinguistic and sociocultural perspectives. In: Jane Freeland and Donna Patrick (eds.). Language Rights and Language Survival. Manchester: St. Jerome Publishing, 1–34.
Fill, Alwin and Peter Mühlhäusler. (eds.). 2001. The Ecolinguistics Reader: Language, Ecology and Environment. New York: Continuum.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gellner, Ernest. 1964. Thought and Change. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1983. Nations and Nationalism. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Glendon, Mary Ann. 1991. Rights Talk: The Impoverishment of Political Discourse. New York: Free Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Godron, Raymond G. Jr. 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World (15th Edition). Dallas, Texas: SIL International.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Grenoble, Lenore A. and Lindsy J. Whaley. 2006. Saving Languages: An Introduction to Language Revitalization. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Grin, François and François Vaillancourt. 1997. The economics of multilingualism: Overview and analytical framework. In: William Grabe (ed.). Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 17. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 43–65.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1999. The Cost-Effectiveness Evaluation of Minority Language Policies: Case Studies on Wales, Ireland and the Basque Country. Flensburg: European Centre for Minority Issues.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Grin, François. 2003. Language planning and economics. Current Issues in Language Planning 4(1), 1–66. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2005. Linguistic human rights as a source of policy guidelines: A critical assessment. Journal of Sociolinguistics 9(3), 448–460. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2006. Economic considerations in language policy. In: Thomas Ricento (ed.). An Introduction to Language Policy: Theory and Methods. Oxford: Blackwell, 77–94.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Harrison, David K.. 2007. When Languages Die: The Extinction of the World’s Languages and the Erosion of Human Knowledge. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hobsbawm, Eric. 1991. Nations and Nationalism since 1780: Programme, Myth, Reality. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hornberger, Nancy. 2006. Frameworks and models in language policy and planning. In: Thomas Ricento (ed.). An Introduction to Language Policy: Theory and Methods. Oxford: Blackwell, 24–41.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Joseph, John E.. 2004. Language and Identity: National, Ethnic, Religious. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kraus, Peter A.. 2007. Intercultural recognition and linguistic diversity in Europe. In: Dario Castiglione and Chris Longman (eds.). The Language Question in Europe and Diverse Societies: Political, Legal and Social Perspectives. Oxford: Hart Publishing, 61–80.
2008a. A one dimensional diversity? European integration and the challenge of language policy. In: Xabier Arzoz (ed.). Respecting Linguistic Diversity in the European Union. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 85–106.
2008b. A Union of Diversity: Language, Identity and Polity Building in Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Laitin, David. 1977. Politics, Language and Thought: The Somali Experience. Chicago: Chicago University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1992. Language Repertoires and State Construction in Africa. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1993. The game theory of language regimes. International Political Science Review 14(3), 227–39. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1994. The tower of Babel as a coordination game: Political linguistics in Ghana. American Political Science Review 881, 622–34.
. 2004. Language policy and civil war. In: Philippe Van Parijs (ed.). Cultural Diversity versus Economic Solidarity. Brussels: De Boeck Université (Bibliothèque scientifique Francqui), 371–396.
Laitin, D. 2007. Nations, States and Violence. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Laponce, Jean. 1975. Relating linguistics to political conflicts: The problem of language shift in multilingual societies. In: Jean-Guy Savard (ed.) Multilingual Political Systems: Problems and Solutions. Laval: Laval University Press, 185–207.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1987. Languages and their Territories. Toronto: Toronto University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1993. Do languages behave like animals? International Journal on the Sociology of Language 1031, 19–30.
Laponce, Jean and William Safran (eds.). 2005. Language, Ethnic Identity and the State. London: Routledge.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
May, Stephen. 2003. Misconceiving minority language rights. In: Alan Patten and Will Kymlicka (eds). Language Rights and Political Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 123–152.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2004. Rethinking linguistic human rights. In: Jane Freeland and Donna Patrick (eds.). Language Rights and Language Survival. Manchester: St. Jerome Publishing, 35–54.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2005. Language rights: Moving the debate forward. Journal of Sociolinguistics 9(3), 319–347. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Nettle, Daniel and Suzanne Romaine. 2000. Vanishing Voices: The Extinction of the World’s Languages. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Parekh, Bhiku. 2000. Theorizing political theory. In: Noel O’sullivan (ed.). Political Theory in Transition. London: Routledge, 242–259.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Patten, Alan. 2001. Political theory and language policy. Political Theory 29(5), 691–715. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2003. Language policy and liberal neutrality. Philosophy and Public Affairs 31(4), 505–521. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2006. The humanist roots of linguistic nationalism. History of Political Thought 27(2), 223–262.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2009. Survey article: The justification of minority language rights. Journal of Political Philosophy 17(1), 102–128. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Patten, Alan and Will Kymlicka (eds.). 2003a. Language Rights and Political Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2003b. Introduction: Language rights and political theory — contexts, issues and approaches. In: Alan Patten and Will Kymlicka (eds). Language Rights and Political Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1–51.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Pennycook, Alastair. 2005. Language policy and the ecological turn. Language Policy 3(3), 213–239. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ricento, Thomas. 2000. Historical and theoretical perspectives in language policy and planning. Journal of Sociolinguistics 4(2), 196–213. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Romaine, Suzanne. 2002. The impact of language policy on endangered languages. International Journal of Multicultural Societies 4(2), 2–22.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Rubio-Marín, Ruth. 2003. Language rights: Exploring the competing rationales, In: Alan Patten and Will Kymlicka (eds). Language Rights and Political Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 70–73.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Schiffman, Harold. 1996. Linguistic Culture and Language Policy. London: Routledge. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Schmidt, Ronald. 2006. Political theory and language policy. In: Thomas Ricento (ed.). An Introduction to Language Policy: Theory and Methods. Oxford: Blackwell, 95–110.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
De Shalit, Avner. 2000. The Environment between Theory and Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Shorten, Andrew. 2005. What good is language? MANCEPT Working Papers. School of Social Sciences: The University of Manchester.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Spolsky, Bernard. 2004. Language Policy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tierney, Brian. 1997. The Idea of Natural Rights. Atlanta: Scholars Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Toivanen, Reetta. 2007. Linguistic diversity and the paradox of rights discourse. In: Dario Castiglione and Chris Longman (eds.). The Language Question in Europe and Diverse Societies: Political, Legal and Social Perspectives. Hart Publishing: Oxford, 101–122.
Skutnabb-Kangas, Tove and Robert Phillipson. 2001. The World came to Sweden — but did language rights? In: Sally Boyd and Leena Huss (eds.). Managing Multilingualism in a European Nation-State: Challenges for Sweden. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, 70–86.
Van Parijs, Philippe. 2000. The ground floor of the world: On the socio-economic consequences of linguistic globalisation, International Political Science Review 21(2), 217–233. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2002. Linguistic justice. Politics, Philosophy and Economics 1(1), 59–75. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2004. Cultural diversity versus economic solidarity? In: Philippe Van Parijs (ed.). Cultural Diversity versus Economic Solidarity. Brussels: De Boeck Université (Bibliothèque scientifique Francqui), 371–396.
. 2007. Europe’s linguistic challenge. In: Dario Castiglione and Chris Longman (eds.). The Language Question in Europe and Diverse Societies. Oxford: Hart Publishing, 217–253.
. 2011 (forthcoming). Linguistic Justice for Europe and for the World. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Waldron, Jeremy. 1993. Rights. In: Robert E. Goodin and Philip Pettit (eds.). A Companion to Contemporary Political Theory. Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2000. The role of rights in practical reasoning: “Rights” versus “needs”. The Journal of Ethics 41, 115–135.
Whaley, Lindsey. 2004. Can a language that never existed be saved? Coming to terms with Oreqen language revitalization. In: Jane Freeland and Donna Patrick (eds.). Language Rights and Language Survival. Manchester: St. Jerome Publishing, 139–150.
Whiteley, Peter. 2003. Do language rights serve indigenous interests? Some Hopi and other queries. American Anthropologist 105(4), 712–722. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wolff, Jonathan and Avner de Shalit. 2007. Disadvantage. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wright, Sue. 2004. Language Policy and Language Planning: From Nationalism to Globalisation. New York: Palgrave. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2007a. The right to speak one’s own language: Reflections on theory and practice. Language Policy 6(2), 203–224. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2007b. What is a language? The difficulties inherent in language rights. In: Dario Castiglione and Chris Longman (eds.). The Language Question in Europe and Diverse Societies: Political, Legal and Social Perspectives. Hart Publishing: Oxford, 81–100.
Cited by (11)

Cited by 11 other publications

Goirigolzarri Garaizar, Jone & Xabier Landabidea Urresti
2020. Conflicting discourses on language rights in the Basque Autonomous Community. Language Policy 19:4 ► pp. 505 ff. DOI logo
von Busekist, Astrid & Benjamin Boudou
2018. Language Proficiency and Migration: An Argument Against Testing. In Language Policy and Linguistic Justice, ► pp. 189 ff. DOI logo
Carlin, Patrick
2015. Where were you, our friends on the inside? Language and contestation in Northern Ireland. International Journal of the Sociology of Language 2015:235 DOI logo
Peled, Y.
2015. Normative language policy: interface and interfences. In Language Policy and Political Theory, ► pp. 7 ff. DOI logo
Ives, Peter
2014. De-politicizing language: obstacles to political theory’s engagement with language policy. Language Policy 13:4 ► pp. 335 ff. DOI logo
Ives, Peter
2015. De-politicizing language: obstacles to political theory’s engagement with language policy. In Language Policy and Political Theory, ► pp. 41 ff. DOI logo
Peled, Yael
2014. Normative language policy: interface and interfences. Language Policy 13:4 ► pp. 301 ff. DOI logo
Peled, Yael
2014. Vanessa Pupavac, Language rights: From free speech to linguistic governance. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012. Pp. x, 317. Hb. £60.. Language in Society 43:3 ► pp. 349 ff. DOI logo
Peled, Yael
2017. Language and the limits of justice. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 38:7 ► pp. 645 ff. DOI logo
Darquennes, Jeroen
2013. Language policy and planning in indigenous language minority settings in the EU. Revue française de linguistique appliquée Vol. XVIII:2 ► pp. 103 ff. DOI logo
Dunmire, Patricia L.
2012. Political Discourse Analysis: Exploring the Language of Politics and the Politics of Language. Language and Linguistics Compass 6:11 ► pp. 735 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 13 november 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue