The Conceptual Transformation of“National Language”and the Initial Construction of National Common Language at the End of Qing Dynasty

At the end of Qing Dynasty(1864-1911),the traditional concept of"national language"underwent a modern transformation,which began to refer to the common language of the nation-state.This conceptual change was stimulated by both Japanese thought and practice.The construction of the national common language formally started with the promulgation and implementation of the"Gui-Mao school system,"accelerated by the opening of the preparatory constitution,and began in its early practice through the enactment of the Statutes for the Establishment of Schools in the Mongolian,Tibetan and Hui Areas and the Decision of the Central Educational Conference of the Ministry of Education on the Unification of the State Language.This construction was always led by the court,jointly promoted by people from the government and the folk,and Manchu,Mongolian,and Han officials inclining the new.It not only can be regarded as one of the important contents of the New Deal and Constitutional Movement at the end of Qing Dynasty that has been neglected,but also the result of the long-term implementation of the official language by the Qing court and the increasing role of the Chinese language in the country's domestic and foreign affairs.It had an important impact on the emergence and early development of the consciousness of the modern Chinese nation.

Fostering Chinese National Unity:Advocating the National Common Language and Writing System for Heightened Community Awareness

The promotion of the national common language and writing system stands as a cornerstone in cultivating a sense of community among the Chinese nation.The national common language and writing system,serving as a potent vehicle for cultural dissemination and linguistic communication,acts as a crucial bridge fostering unity,mutual support,cultural exchange,and cohesion among diverse ethnic groups.Its widespread promotion not only reinforces the cohesion of the Chinese nation but also plays a pivotal role in fortifying national and cultural identity.The advocacy and dissemination of the national common language and writing system contribute significantly to enhancing the sense of community within the Chinese nation.This concerted effort serves as an internal driving force,creating a positive feedback loop that strengthens both national identity and the cultural bonds shared by the Chinese people.The reciprocal relationship between the promotion and popularization of the national common language and writing system reinforces a mutual sense of assistance and reciprocity.This bidirectional dynamic propels a synergistic interplay,fostering a beneficial cycle in the promotion and widespread adoption of the national common language and writing system.In essence,the promotion and popularization of the national common language and writing system not only contribute to its advancement but also serve to deepen the sense of community within the Chinese nation.This reciprocal interaction between the two elements establishes a robust foundation for nurturing a strong and cohesive Chinese community.

National Language Capacity in Global Competition

The term national language capacity refers to the sum total of a nation＇s ability to grasp linguistic resources, provide language services, deal with linguistic issues, develop the language, and related tasks. Key capacities include the possession of linguistic resources, utilization of language and language services, development and use of linguistic resources, the language of the members of the nation, reserves of linguistic talent, language management, development of language enterprises and linguistic influence. The development of informatization has made national language capacity an important part of national strength. It is hard power as well as soft power, playing a very important role in social progress and cultural inheritance, in promoting economic development and technological innovation, and in protecting a country＇s national security and international development.

Politics of Language Choice in African Education： The Case of Kenya and Malawi

In August 2015 the government of South Afiica issued Circular S10 of 2015, to inform education authorities that Mandarin would be taught in the schools beginning January 2016. Immediately, the South African Democratic Teachers＇ Union （Sadtu） expressed stiff opposition to it, rejecting it as constituting a ＂new form of colonization＂. The notification informed national and provincial education authorities that Mandarin would be incrementally implemented in schools such that ＂Grades 4-9 and 10 will be implemented in January 2016, followed by grade 11 in 2017 and grade 12 in 2018＂ （Nkosi, 2015）. Part of the justification for the introduction of Mandarin is that China is South Africa＇s biggest trading partner; as such, it is important for the children of South Africa to ＂become proficient in the Confucius language and develop a good understanding of Chinese culture＂ （Nkosi, 2015）. There was nothing said about China＇s reciprocation through changes to the language curriculum of China＇s educational system. Sadtu＇s reaction conforms to the interrogation of the use of language and education as the arena of power politics, exemplified here by the asymmetric power relations between the two countries. This feeds into the realities of African education that, largely, remains shackled through its content and languages of instruction to foreign knowledge systems, reinforced through globalization, science and technology. For instance, with regard to language of instruction the Malawi Government issued the Education Act of 2012 that decreed that English would be studied and used as medium of instruction from grade 1. Language-in-education policies of other African countries differ minimally from that of Malawi. With focus on Kenya and Malawi the paper will examine the politics of language and curricula in African education.

A Few Important and Original Aspects of Carlo Cattaneo’s Philosophical-Linguistic Ideas

The essay has two main purposes.The first is a general reconstruction of Cattaneo’s linguistic thought,highlighting the most important aspects of both his reflections on the connection between language and the community of speakers,and his study of the functions and properties of language.The latter includes an analysis of the influence Cattaneo’s philosophy had on the sphere of Italian linguistics at the turn of the 20th century.

On the Legal Status of Sign Language and Braille in China:Development Process and Institutional Evolution

on the 30^(th)anniversary of the implementation of the Law of the people’s Republic of China on the protection of persons with Disabilities,re-examining the standardization of sign language and Braille will help implement the 14^(th)Five-Year plan and further improve the protection system for the rights and interests of persons with disabilities.From the perspective of regulation,conception and cultivation,it is necessary to clarify the legal status of sign language and Braille in China,accelerate the development of education,and heighten the awareness of rights protection.Identifying sign language and Braille either as a part of the standard national spoken and written language or as a supplementary language can both reaffirm their actual status in the practice of language and script standardization,but the actual needs of the promotion and use of sign language and Braille have not yet been met.only when the two are clearly defined as being forms of the standard national spoken and written language can their legal status be fundamentally consolidated,and a systematic structure for the protection of the rights and interests of persons with disabilities be realized.In order to determine the legal status of the two as being forms of the standard national language,a three-level system of“legal foundation-legislative implementation-system support”should be put in place,so as to form a synergy for the promotion of national standard sign language and Braille.

The Historical Role of the Policy of National Common Language on the Development of Ethnic Groups

In the work concerning ethnic groups in the People's Republic of China,the Communist Party of China(CPC)and the state adopted the policy of promoting national common language in line with the needs of ethnic development,while safeguarding the rights of various ethnic groups in using their languages.This paper reviews the role of the policy of national common language in facilitating the development of ethnic areas in different historical periods of China.It is believed that this practical and gradual policy of language conforms to the needs of social,economic and cultural development in different periods in China,which greatly improves the comprehensive abilities of the people of all ethnic groups and turns the Chinese nation into a community of shared future with higher acceptance and stronger cohesion.

On Linguistic Human Rights in China

Linguistic Human Rights(LHR) means that human beings have the right to maintain and develop their mother tongue in a civilized society and all people should be able to identify positively with their mother tongue, and have that identification accepted and respected by others. In China, Mandarin is the official language and it is regulated as the national language within the country. However, there are many non-Mandarin speakers such as Cantonese or Wu Chinese speakers. If they are coerced not to use their mother tongue, their linguistic human rights will be more or less violated. After analyzing this issue in a multilingual nation of China, especially in the area of Wu Chinese speakers, some useful conclusions and suggestions will be made.

Linguistic Diversity in Trans-cultural Communication

The transcultural communication that characterizes our times needs to be carried out in a few commonly shared languages and this requirement has sharpened the awareness about uneven language status. While defenders of minor languages frequently make use of such concepts as ecosystem, human rights, capital, power, imperialism, etc. To express alarm at the spread of the English language in the present world, researchers tend to forget that these concepts applied to languages are only metaphors which, taken at their face value, would conceal the non- exclusive nature of language as a communicative instrument. A question is raised as to whether we should go beyond an essentially nationalist perception of language inherited from the nineteenth century.