This presentation outlines a conceptual model for the study of agency in language policy and planning (LPP) informed by social realist theory, and grounded in empirical research conducted in various national contexts.
Drawing from the findings of two edited volumes entitled Agency in Language Policy and Planning: Critical Inquiries (ISBN: 9781138316188) and Researching Agency in Language Policy and Planning (ISBN: 9781138316164) – published in 2019 as part of the Routledge Critical Studies in Multilingualism series – the editors of these two volumes draw from social realist theory to outline a conceptual model for the study of agency in language policy and planning (LPP). The model pays due consideration to a broad range of constraining and enabling forces involved in the complex interaction between language, language policy and agency in language practice. The editors also link theory with research findings gathered by chapter contributors working in a range of national contexts across the globe. Concerns over whether LPP efforts meet their stated objectives will also be addressed, along with suggestions for future research on agency in LPP. Motivating this presentation is, in large part, the need for continued transdisciplinary engagement in LPP scholarship.
