Language Revitalisation Planning Within a Power/Solidarity Framework

Abstract

Language revitalisation projects occur within a range of ideological contexts that determine, motivate and undermine the goals of any form of language planning. One prevailing ideology is based on notions of plus and minus social and economic power. Within this ideology, minority languages need to be revitalised in order to preserve or advance social power as well as to resist various forms of oppression coming from the dominant language and culture. It is argued, however, there is at least one additional ideological perspective that, when applied, sees the language revitalisation project as a means of bringing minority and dominant cultures into sharing both power and large-group solidarity with each other.