Journal of Language Situation and Language Service
JLSLS, Vol. 1, No.1, 2026, pp.1-17
Print ISSN: 3078-3755; Online ISSN: 3104-5065
Journal homepage: https://www.lslsjournal.com
DOI：https://doi.org/10.64058/jlsls260101uevlb
Unlocking the Economic Value of Language to Boost High-Quality Economic Development
——An Interview with Professor Li Yuming[1] of Beijing Language and Culture University
Wang Hailan, Zhang Xuetong
Abstract: This paper presents an interview with Professor Li Yuming of Beijing Language and Culture University, focusing on the economic value of language and its role in the contemporary era. As argued by Professor Li, language is not only a cultural “soft power” but also a “hard power” with significant economic attributes. The language industry encompasses diverse sectors such as language training, translation and interpretation, information processing, language arts, and language rehabilitation. Characterized by green industry （or eco-friendly production）and high added value, it makes a remarkable contribution to employment and economic growth. In the digital economy era, language data, as a key factor of production, serve as a core resource for artificial intelligence training and the development of language models. Furthermore, language proficiency is closely linked to poverty reduction. The promotion of Putonghua helps enhance human capital, facilitate information flow, and eventually contribute to economic development. In regional coordinated development, language planning should provide foundational support for economic layout, emergency preparedness and response, and cultural shaping. Looking ahead, efforts should be made to strengthen the discipline development of language economics, promote the integration of linguistics and the other disciplines, cultivate versatile interdisciplinary talents, and promote the development of the language industry and language-related professions, so as to fully leverage the strategic role of language in the digital economy.
Keywords: Li Yuming; Language Economy; Language industry; Language Data; Language-based Poverty Alleviation; Regional Language Planning
Author Biographies: Wang Hailan, Corresponding author, Associate Professor at the School of Humanities, Guangzhou University; Researcher at the National Language Service and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Language Research Center of the National Language Commission. Research interests: language service, language economy, and language communication. E-mail: hlwang0916@126.com. Zhang Xuetong, Grade-Level Deputy Director, No.32 Middle School of Handan. Research interest: language service. E-mail: zhangori@126.com.
标题：释放语言经济价值 服务经济高质量发展——访北京语言大学李宇明教授
摘要：本文围绕语言的经济价值与时代角色，对北京语言大学李宇明教授进行专访。语言不仅是文化“软实力”，更是具有显著经济属性的“硬实力”。语言产业涵盖培训、翻译、信息处理、艺术、康复等多元业态，具有绿色、高附加值的特点，对就业与经济增长贡献显著。在数字经济时代，语言数据作为关键生产要素，是人工智能训练与语言模型开发的核心资源。此外，语言能力与减贫密切相关，推广普通话有助于增强人力资本、促进信息流通与经济发展。在区域协同发展中，语言规划应作为基础支撑，服务于经济布局、应急保障与文化塑造。面对未来，应加强语言经济学学科建设，推动语言学与多学科交叉融合，培养复合型人才，关注语言产业和语言职业的发展，充分发挥语言在数字经济中的战略作用。
关键词：李宇明；语言经济；语言产业；语言数据；语言扶贫；区域语言规划
作者简介：王海兰，通讯作者，广州大学人文学院副教授，国家语委国家语言服务与粤港澳大湾区语言研究中心研究员，研究方向：语言服务、语言经济和语言传播。电邮：hlwang0916@126.com。张雪彤，邯郸市第三十二中学年级副主任，研究方向：语言服务。电邮：zhangori@126.com。
[1] Li Yuming: Winner of the National May Day Labor Medal (1997), Professor at Beijing Language and Culture University, expert receiving special allowance from the State Council, Distinguished Professor of Beijing. He currently serves as a Consultant of the National Language Commission and President of the Chinese Lexicography Society. He has previously served as Deputy Director of the National Language Commission, Director of the Department of Language Information Management of the Ministry of Education, and Party Secretary of Beijing Language and Culture University. His main research areas include grammar, child language acquisition, and language planning. He has published over 40 academic works, including The Development of Child Language, Studies on the Category of Quantity in Chinese, Essays on China’s Language Planning, and The Early Years of Life, and has served as Editor-in-Chief of The Great Dictionary of Global Chinese. He has also published more than 700 journal articles. His academic achievements have received multiple awards for outstanding research achievements in humanities and social sciences from Chinese universities. He has long been dedicated to national language planning and practice, leading major national research projects such as the development of the General Mandarin Character Table and the National Social Science Fund major project “Research on Issues of Language Standardization in the New Era.” He has made outstanding contributions to the field of language policy research.
Received: 17 Apr 2026 / Revised: 04 May 2026 / Accepted: 16 May 2026 / Published online: 30 May 2026 / Print published: 30 Jun 2026.
