Reading Group 1: Critical approaches to LPP

This week's readings introduce you to critical approaches to language policy and planning. By the end of the reading group meeting, you should have an idea of what being 'critical' means and what a critical approach to LPP would entail. Below are some questions that you can use to kick off and/or structure your reading group discussion:

1. Hymes' work is seminal in critical approaches to LPP so it is always good to revisit his work. For this reading, first, try to identify the origins and foundations of inequality among speakers which he discusses. Second, discuss how Hymes' approach in this selected reading is critical in the sense that it critiques 'traditional' approaches to understanding the nature of language. What are the approaches to or assumptions about language and/or speakers which he critiques and why?

2. There are some discussion questions at the end of Tollefson's chapter on "Critical theory on language policy" (pp. 54 - 55). In the reading group, answer Questions 1 and 5.

3. There are also some discussion questions at the end of Tollefson's chapter on "Revolutionary language policy" (pp. 164 - 165). In the reading group, answer Questions 1 - 3.

If you would like to better understand what being critical (or 'doing' critical) means in applied linguistics, you may want to read Pennycook's 2001 book, "Critical applied linguistics: a critical introduction". I have requested that this book be placed in the reserve section for our class.