This article discusses language planning in the People's Republic of China, and opens by commenting on the difficulty in observing the language planning process in China, particularly in the area of decision-making. A brief history of language planning is provided. Following the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949, a shift took place…

This paper examines the efforts of the Chinese Communist government since 1949 to bring literacy to the masses through its language reform policies. The policies discussed include the establishment of a common dialect, simplification of Chinese characters, and the development of a Chinese phonetic alphabet. In addition, the paper discusses methods…

Language must meet the social, economic, political, and psychological needs of the time, and it necessarily changes with new ways of thinking. Political ideology is one factor that can influence linguistic change. A dramatic example of this process can be found in the People's Republic of China, where major political forces have brought about…