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Micro-Level Language Planning: An Auto-ethnographic Study of Family Language Policy in Pakistan
Dr. Sadia Saeed
Abstract:
Language planning is often studied at the state or institutional level, while little attention is given to the micro-level contexts where language choices are made and enacted daily. This study investigates the evolution of linguistic practices within a Pakistani family across three generations using family language policy (FLP), a type of micro-level language planning. Based on the theoretical framework of Chua and Baldauf's multi-level model of language planning, and guided by the ethnographic theories of Agar and Hymes, this study uses an autoethnographic approach to investigate the gradual transition from Rangri to Urdu. The results show that a number of interrelated factors, such as the historical legacy of colonization, aspirations for education and social mobility, and the communicative need to integrate into a larger language group, influence this linguistic change. The study emphasizes how family language planning reflects larger sociopolitical and cultural dynamics rather than being solely a personal issue. It also helps raise awareness at both a personal and a societal level by motivating families to identify, consider, and intentionally create their own language policies in order to maintain linguistic heritage while adapting to changing social norms.
Keywords:
: Family language policy, Micro level planning, Ethnography, Autoethnography, Rangri language
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