1 Introduction

This section introduces the academic achievements and influence of Louis-Jean Calvet. Calvet is a key founder of French sociolinguistics, whose research promoted the discipline's shift from the Saussurean structuralist paradigm towards a focus on the social attributes of language. He emphasized deconstructing the symbiotic relationship between language and society from political, power-related, and historical dimensions. His research, based on fieldwork in North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa and later expanded to a global scope, reshaped the understanding of linguistic power relations within the "Francophonie," providing a theoretical framework for examining the cultural diversity and political dynamics of French-speaking countries worldwide.

2 Retrospective of Academic Career and the Formation of Calvet's Core Ideas

This section traces the academic career of the French sociolinguist Calvet and outlines the formation process of his core ideas. Born in Tunisia and raised in a multilingual environment, Calvet later pursued studies in France, resulting in a diverse academic background. During his time at Paris V University, influenced by several distinguished mentors, he shifted from functional linguistics to sociolinguistics, critiqued the limitations of traditional linguistics, and formed a Marxist-oriented approach. He founded several academic journals, promoted disciplinary development, introduced American sociolinguistics to France, and centered his research around "language, power, and society," producing prolific results and receiving numerous honors.

3 Evolution of Academic Perspectives: From Language Corpus Planning to Global Language Governance

This section details the evolution of the academic perspectives of French sociolinguist Calvet regarding language policy and planning. Calvet's academic research underwent three major shifts: from language corpus planning to global language governance. From the 1960s to the 1970s, he focused on colonial language conflicts in newly independent nations, proposed the concept of "glottophagy," critiqued the oppression of indigenous languages by colonial languages, participated in African language planning practices, and constructed a dialectical framework of "in vivo" and "in vitro." From the late 1980s to the late 1990s, he turned to urban sociolinguistics, focusing on the language rights and identity of minority groups, proposed three processes of urban linguistic life, and constructed an assessment model for linguistic insecurity. Since the late 1990s, facing globalization challenges, he proposed the theory of language ecology, constructed four analytical models, introduced the concept of linguistic weight, applied his research findings to provide value guidance for the global linguistic order and educational practices, and focused on language conflicts in geopolitical fault lines.

4 Calvet's Connection with China: Empirical Evidence and Dialogue from a Cross-Cultural Perspective

This section elaborates on the 40-year academic connection between French sociolinguist Calvet and China. Since his first visit to China in 1984, Calvet made multiple trips, establishing long-term collaborations with institutions such as Nanjing University and Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, aiming to build a frontline for sociolinguistic research in China. Regarding French language teaching, he visited Guangdong University of Foreign Studies three times to conduct training for French teachers, introducing advanced French teaching theories and practices, and nurturing a group of local sociolinguists. Concurrently, Calvet conducted a 30-year longitudinal study on multilingual phenomena in Guangzhou, employing ethnographic research methods and publishing several papers, providing an empirical foundation for urban sociolinguistic research in China. Furthermore, he drew inspiration from traditional Chinese culture to complete several important works. In terms of academic exchange, Calvet attended multiple high-level international conferences on sociolinguistics in China, sharing French ideas on language governance and stimulating reflections among Chinese and foreign scholars on the language ideologies underlying multilingual phenomena. He acknowledged the effectiveness of China's language governance while offering critical warnings regarding China's foreign language education at international conferences. Although Calvet holds an important position in international academia, his core ideas remain only partially introduced in China, with limited Chinese translations of his works. Domestic scholars' focus on his work centers on language conflicts in multilingual environments, exploring power relations through linguistic capital and linguistic markets, and micro-level practices in urban linguistic landscapes. His micro-level perspectives, such as "linguistic insecurity," could supplement China's macro-level policies, and the academic community requires more comprehensive and in-depth research into his theories.

5 Conclusion

This section summarizes Calvet's multifaceted contributions, emphasizing his role as an engaged linguist who closely integrated language research with social realities, with a particular focus on Africa. He was not only a linguist but also a significant promoter of French chanson culture. His academic style and rigorous scholarly spirit, conveyed through numerous works and papers, have influenced subsequent scholars, forming an open "Calvet School."