Resumen de Language policy in post-Soviet Azerbaijan: political aspects

Jala Garibova

• This article addresses the politics of language planning in post-Soviet Azerbaijan by reflecting upon the trends and challenges inherent in the “language movements” in developing nations. Language policy in general tends to reflect the stages of national priority formation, the level of democratic development in a nation, the vulnerability of national identity feelings, and external factors impacting national language policy formulation. In developing nations, language policy and politics are so inseparably interwoven that language policy can often be relied upon as a mirror reflecting political and social tendencies occurring within these nations. From this point of view, language policy programs of developing nations reveal, in many cases, common aspects of nation-building aspirations as well as possible mistakes involved.

  We have tried to support our analysis with historical and theoretical backgrounds, which we hope will better elucidate various language policy scenarios, explain certain “language emotions,” and provide a degree of defense against possible prejudgment, which developing countries may encounter from the international community while promoting their language polices.