Essays on Writing and Language in Honor - Sino-Platonic Papers

Schniffestschri#: Essay in Honor of John DeFrancis
In China, Mandarin was a reasonable choice, since the majority of the population spoke
some form of Mandarin. Still, there are many respects in which educated people in Fujian
Province can benefit themselves by following the policy to promote Mandarin in the Hokkien-
speaking community.
In spite of such differences in justifying a similar language policy, it is noteworthy that
the main rationalization offered in the three countries has been based on a national necessity.
They all fail to link the role of language policy with the economic life of a modem society. In
particular they all fail to have any policy on Hokkien or to take a realistic look at what role each
major language plays in the economy of the whole society and in the economic opportunities of
the individuals who have different degree of competence in different languages.
CrE I JSF, AND ECONOMIC
How is an individual's ability in Mandarin, Hokkien and English related to his job and
income? Are there striking differences between government and private employment in terms
of such correlations? What languages are used in the production markets: when a foreman gives
direction to his men, a carpenter trains his apprentices, a farmer buys his tools or discusses what
and how to plant, a merchant bargains with his customers, or a banker interviews his loan
applicants? What languages are used in the consumption market: in barber shops, hotels, trains,
stores, restaurants, tour buses, taxis, movie theaters, or night clubs? What type of information
is available (or not available) in a given language, and what section of the population has access
to such infoxmation? If information concerning such things as how to cut hair, raise cows, or
weave baskets is generally given orally in Hokkien, can an individual without knowledge of
Hokkien have opportunities to acquire such skills? Is information of highly advanced technology
and different types of skills available to people who cannot speak Mandarin or Hokkien? What
about information concerning weather, marketing and the availability -of equipment and tools?
How would the availability or unavailability of these types of information in a language affect
the growth of industry as a whole and individual firms and farmers? A reliable answer to these
questions can help those who are responsible for language policy and its implementation. It will
also help researchers assess the effectiveness of these policies and their application.
There are several ways to show how languages and economic activities are related and
how a language policy and its implementation have affected such a relationship. I propose the
following three areas of relationship: language ability and income of individuals; language used
and types of productive processes vis-a-vis types of consumption of final products; and types
of information available in different industries and their accessibility to speakers of different
languages.
It is hoped that a synchronic study of the correlation between these variables will show
the relationship between language ability and economic activities. A diachronic comparison of
these correlations at different points of time within the same community and a comparative study
across communities will shed some light on the question of how a language policy has had or
willhave effect on economic opportunities of the individual and on its relations with national
economic growth.