The anachronistic state? Language policy formulation, discursive (dis)continuity and "la langue de l'autre" in Belgian education

Description

In (critical-)sociolinguistic theory-building on contemporary diversity, state language policies are sometimes deemed rigid, modernist and thus increasingly anachronistic (cf. Blommaert, 2015). Yet, how comes that governmental bodies seem to keep relying on supposedly obsolete language discourses and beliefs? In this presentation, we address the historicity of language policy-making, combining perspectives from language-ideological research (Blommaert, 1999) and political science (Cardinal & Sonntag, 2015).

Central is a protracted language-educational debate in Belgium. During the country's highly symbolical language conflict between speakers of Dutch and French, the position of la langue de l'autre as compulsory/optional modern language at school repeatedly heated the political negotiation table. Across five key moments (1932-1963-1980-2004-today) regarding this issue, we use parliamentary debates as vivid historical data. Thematic analysis served to track (1) which discourses shape the successive law-making processes (2) which MPs advocate them and for what policy choices, and (3) which discourses remain, change or recur.

Results demonstrate that, over almost a century, modern language education has faced very similar practical concerns and has continuously been connected to discourses of (e.g.) national unity, political evenhandedness, cultural enrichment and economic prospects. Nonetheless, these persistent motives appear heteroglossic, voiced at different times by various MPs for completely opposite purposes, oscillating with the political and socio-economic climate. This way, our diachronic perspective will illustrate that state language policy-making cannot be conceptualized unambiguously as deterministic, outdated or detached from societal complexities. Rather, we underline the political process in which discursively conscious MPs constantly (re)negotiate deep-rooted language-ideological sensitivities and state traditions.

Period	28 Jun 2024
Event title	Multidisciplinary Approaches in Language Policy and Planning Conference 2024
Event type	Conference
Location	Ottawa, CanadaShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International