Symposia & Conferences
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/10219
Browse
2 results
Search Results
Item Colonial Period Language Planning in Sri Lanka(Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Perera, A.In linguistically heterogeneous societies, language planning constitutes core institutional practice for maintaining social cohesion as well as unique cultural identities. This study intends to examine the Colonial Period Language Planning in Sri Lanka. The data were collected through official documents, books, journals and thesis such as Colbrooke Cameron Papers, Language Planning by Robert. B. Kaplan etc. The first Europeans to visit Sri Lanka in modem times were the Portuguese who arrived in 1505 and the Dutch who captured Ceylon in 1656. Then the British presence in Sri Lanka began in 1796. The arrival of Europeans was a novel influence on our languages. During those periods Portuguese, Dutch and English were introduced as their official languages and Greek, Latin and Hebrew were included as the languages under the education planning. The colonisation brought European style of education to Sri Lanka, especially to prepare students for positions in the colonial administrations. All official domains were conducted in their official languages. Accordingly, those language policies were introduced to our educational system and to Sinhalese and Tamil languages. As a result, only few people could obtain a proper education and most of the people remained uneducated. Therefore, those language policies caused several social issues. Moreover, Mr. J. R. Jayawardhana introduced a new language planning proposal to change the colonial language planning in 1944. However, that proposal could not be implemented properly. This was a reason for the ethnic problem in Sri Lanka that took place after the independence.Item Language Planning Situations in Sri Lanka and Singapore: A Comparative Study(Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Kamali, R.D.Language planning can be defined as a deliberate attempt to change the linguistics behaviour of a speech community for a particular reason. It is often associated with the government planning. It can be initiated to push a certain language towards a stipulated goal. The recognition of two or more official languages can largely be attributed to a scenario stemming out of a socio-political dilemma. Therefore, decisions on language policy and planning are made around the globe every day to create the much needed harmony within their countries. Especially, in multilingual countries, it is becoming more and more essential to have a well-planned language policy. To date, around 200 countries in the world recognise two or more official languages. This study focuses on the language policy in Sri Lanka and Singapore with particulars emphasis on the historical, political and social changes in language policy decisions and the present situation of their language policies as multi-lingual countries in the Asian region. After a general account of the language profile of Sri Lanka and Singapore, this research examines the status planning in both countries since they became independent countries. Finally, it discusses some important recent developments in language planning in both countries and how they constructed the ethnic harmony through language planning and is their language planning, a success or a failure. As the methodology both primary and secondary data were collected by referring official documents, constitution of both countries and other subject related sources. This study demonstrates the linguistic, political and ethnic characters of language planning in two multi-lingual countries.