ABSTRACT
In this and the following chapters we examine the two constitutive elements informing ideologies about language—beliefs and practices. We recognize, along with others (e.g., Eagleton, 1991; Larrain, 1979), that ideology is a term with historically and situationally varying meanings. 1 We see part of its meaning as its attendant practices, conducted by individuals and social groups. In the case of language, these conceptions are articulated both in discourses about what is real and what has value in relation to language acquisition and use, and in language practice, or practices. At times we see these two constitutive elements, attitudes and practices, interacting in ways that appear obvious, or predictable; at other times, these interactions yield dialectical processes that are a good deal less transparent, or intuitive.
