Silly Standards? The role of the Standard Language Ideology in public policies and its socio-economic consequences.

When one comes across the term ‘ideology’, language rarely comes to the forefront. In the last decade, however, sociolinguists have begun taking a much closer look at the relationship between language, ideology and society – particularly with respect to linguistic variance vis-à-vis language attitudes and ideology. Some questions asked in such studies are: is there such a thing as ‘language ideology’ and, if so, what does the ‘standard language ideology’ (SLI) entail? Does linguistic standardisation bring more harm or good in today’s context, particularly in linguistically heterogenous societies? What consequences do language policies and ideologies have on societal attitudes? Whilst taking into consideration case studies from across Europe to demonstrate the theoretical basis, cosiderations and applications surrounding the topic, the paper will particularly focus on the linguistically and ethnically diverse island nation states of Britain and Singapore – two countries where ‘Standard English’ is the established dominant language existing alongside other languages and varieties of English. More specifically, the paper would take a closer look on how the SLI manifests itself in public policy through critical discourse analyses. Additionally, data collected through the use of several sociolinguistic experimental techniques (some of which to be conducted during the conference itself) will be used to support findings and theses put forth. Ultimately, apart from unpacking the ideological nature of language, as well as the close – albeit often overlooked – relationship between language, politics, and society, the paper hopes to provide a glimpse into how language and its use leave complex socio-political and even economic consequences upon members of certain socio- linguistic communities, whether intentionally or otherwise.