Abstract

While literacy has always been central to language planning work, there are fewer studies which focus primarily on literacy as a language planning activity. Often planning for literacy is treated as an aspect of status, corpus or language-in-education planning, rather than addressing literate practice itself as a planning objective. This volume investigates the complex issues and social and political pressures relating to literacy in a variety of language planning contexts around the world. The studies presented in this book examine language planning for literacy in official and vernacular languages and address issues relating to literacy in first and additional languages in North America, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Pacific. As a collection, these studies show that language planning for literacy is not simply a matter of planning a written version of a language, but involves more complex questions relating to the nature and practice of literacy and the power relations which exist within societies.

This collection serves as a valuable resource that demonstrates local language planning for literacy in action. This timely collection makes a useful contribution to the growing body of language planning literature and will serve as a useful reference to illustrate the complex connections between literacy and language planning.

Anthony J. Liddicoat is Associate Professor in Applied Linguistics at the Research Centre for Languages and Cultures Education in the School of International Studies at the University of South Australia. His research interests include: language and intercultural issues in education, conversation analysis, and language policy and planning