BEYOND EXPLICIT POLICIES: UNVEILING THE IMPLICIT DIMENSIONS OF LANGUAGE POLICY AND PLANNING

Abstract

Language policy and planning (LPP) research has traditionally focused on explicit policies, such as governmental regulations and institutional language planning. However, recent scholarship has emphasized the importance of implicit, conceptual, and ideological aspects in shaping language use and policy. This review paper aims to highlight the significance of both explicit and implicit dimensions in LPP research, arguing that a holistic understanding of language policy contexts requires an integrated approach. The paper begins by discussing various conceptualizations of language policy, distinguishing between explicit policy formulations and the implicit roles of ideology, discourse, and agency. It then provides a brief historical overview of LPP scholarship, tracing its evolution from structuralist models to more dynamic, agency-focused perspectives. The study further emphasizes the increasing recognition of implicit factors in LPP, illustrating how language ideologies, societal attitudes, and power dynamics influence policy outcomes. Finally, the paper proposes a theoretical framework that accounts for both explicit and implicit aspects of LPP, enabling a more comprehensive analysis of language policy contexts. By synthesizing these perspectives, this paper contributes to the ongoing discourse on LPP, advocating for an inclusive and multidimensional approach to language policy research that better captures the complexities of language use and planning.