In Haugen's Four Stage Process, which stage corresponds to the choice of a language variety for specific purposes?

• A. Implementation
• B. Elaboration
• C. Selection
• D. Codification

Answer: (C)

That stage is about selecting the language variety to be used for specific purposes, such as education, administration, and media. It involves deciding which form will serve as the standard for those domains, based on factors like ease of use, mutual intelligibility, and social prestige. Once a variety is chosen, codification fixes its rules—spelling, grammar, and vocabulary. Elaboration then expands its functional range, creating terminology and style for different genres and functions. Implementation spreads the standardized form through schools, government, and media so people actually use it. For example, a country might select a particular form of the language as the national standard to be taught in schools and used in official communications.