Language Revitalisation and Social Transformation: Evaluating the Language Policy Frameworks of Sub-state Governments in Wales and Scotland

Efforts by European sub-state governments to revitalize minority languages are increasingly common. This paper investigates whether these revitalization efforts have considered the implications of contemporary social change, by utilising content analysis methods to analyse policy documents in two cases, Wales and Scotland. In concluding that engagement with social change is limited, the paper highlights the challenge faced by language revitalization policy in ensuring awareness of the nature of globalisation and associated social change. More broadly, it demonstrates that language policy can be conceived and analysed as public policy, and highlights opportunities for further research in this area by policy scholars.