Current Issues In Language Planning
Polity Editors: Robert B. Kaplan (University of Southern California), Richard B. Baldauf Jr. (University of Queensland) and Nkonko Kamwangamalu (Howard University)Bob and Dick are also editors of the book series Language Policy and Planning
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Volume: 1 Number: 3 Page: 431–434
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Defining an Ecological Niche: The Use of 'Dialect' or 'Language'
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Birger Winsa
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A definitional issue ('language' or 'dialect') became an important element for language planning in the Torne Valley in Sweden where Meänkieli, a former Finnish dialect, was recognised by the Swedish
state as a minority language. Dialects are not usually acknowledged and are viewed as being outside a language ecology, and are not planned in the same way as languages are. The recognition of Meänkieli
as a language rather than a dialect in the Swedish minority languages legislation is an important language-planning decision with the potential to affect the whole linguistic ecology of the Torne Valley.
© Multilingual Matters 2000
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