Language Politics in Sri Lanka
Linguistic Purism, Cultural Pluralism and Identity
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11447256 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Noel Dassanayake (0000-0001-6041-5601, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, Belihuloya, Sri Lanka, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 44 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 332-349 |
| Publication date | 2024-11-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | South Asia Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0262-7280 • E-ISSN: 1741-3141 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/02627280241264375 |
| OpenAlex | W4402075285 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 40 |
This study, based partly on archival research, tackles a number of interrelated issues regarding the sociolinguistic dynamics of language politics in Sri Lanka from the colonial era to the present. In colonial Ceylon, such politics initially manifested as resistance against foreign elements, but later evolved into internal conflicts when majoritarian Sinhala-focused linguistic purism movements appropriated Sinhala as a national identity marker. The resulting civil war until 2009 indicated that misguided prospects of linguistic purism in the name of ethnic nationalism have been a costly mistake for this small state, threatening to tear the nation apart. Regarding more recent issues of language planning and policy reforms, which also concern the place of English, the focus turns specifically to the rapid digitalisation of communication and related impacts of global virtual language environments. These substantially reduce the significance of any specific language or local vernacular, while individual and group identity is strengthened through inclusive use of linguistic registers within multilingual digital spaces
Aesthetics · Colonialism · Epistemology · Identity (music · Language policy · Language politics · Linguistics · National identity · Nationalism · Pluralism (philosophy · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Vernacular · Gender Studies · Interpreting and Communication in Healthcare · Law · Multilingual Education and Policy · Second Language Learning and Teaching
First Language Use in Second and Foreign Language Learning
Translanguaging with Multilingual Students
Translanguaging
The Rise of Tamil Separatism in Sri Lanka
Against the Misuse of the ICCPR Act
Translanguaging as a social justice strategy
The language planning situation in Sri Lanka
Language movements in Sri Lanka and Pakistan
Tribal Education
Bangla in English Classes in Bangladesh
Geopolitics in the Maldives
Chinese as a Mandatory Foreign Language at a Higher Education Institution in Pakistan
Linguistics in a colonial world
Multi-Lingualism and Mother-Tongue Education
The Separatist Conflict in Sri Lanka
Ethnic Conflict and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka
Politics of Identity
South Asia Faces the Future
Understanding Process Tracing
Language and Society in South Asia
Language, Religion, and Ethnic Assertiveness
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |