The article analyses the notion and ideology of language formed at the state level in Lithuania and Denmark. The aim is to examine the notion of language and the understanding of language functionality conveyed in the documents of language education policy and ideology emerging in them, also the purposes raised for language education. The official language education policy formed by the state exerts direct influence on language teaching at school and on the students’ formation of the notion of language. Therefore, the questions raised in this research are aimed at identifying what is implemented with the official language education policy, how much attention is devoted to developing the students’ communicative, argumentative skills and skills of independent critical thinking, and how much the policy focuses on the advocacy of national ideology and identity. The data of the research includes national language education policy documents which determine the implementation of language policy in the system of education of Lithuania and Denmark. The following aspects have been analysed: language functions as presented in the education policy documents: the communicative function and the function of national identity; the formation of ideology of nationality through language education; the formation of standard language ideology in language education policy; also the students’ linguistic competences to be developed at school. The results have shown that the notion of language emerging in the Lithuanian language education policy documents encompasses ideologies of standard language, language correctness and linguistic nationalism. The main goal of the Lithuanian language teaching is the implementation and strengthening of a single standard language norm and the formation of the notion of language as a protector and disseminator of national identity. However, the aim to develop language as a communicative tool as well as to develop the students’ critical thinking is also identifiable. The main goal of the Danish education policy is the development of the students’ communicative language function, critical-analytical thinking, and the formation of the notion of language as a means of communication, as well as of the notion of linguistic variation.

The article analyses, how the Lithuanian school education system teaches to understand language and evaluate linguistic phenomena (linguistic diversity, different language forms and varieties) as well as language functions (communicative and function of identity). Basis of the research are the newest Lithuanian language textbooks for the last two gymnasium grades (11-12th grades), published since year 2000. Using qualitative analysis method it is being investigated, what notion of language is presented to the pupils, how much the descriptive approach to language of contemporary linguistics and knowledge about language are present in the textbooks, and to what extent there still exist attitude of the so-called traditional (prescriptive) grammar and ideas of language corrections. Language teaching at school serves double function – on the one hand, school teaches literacy, where language is understood as a tool for creation and analysing of texts. On the other hand, language in itself is a study object, about which pupils at school receive a certain understanding. Therefore, the question arises, what notion of language is being formed in the Lithuanian education system on the gymnasium level through teaching material – Lithuanian (native) language textbooks. Does the teaching material for the last two – 11-12th – grades provide knowledge about language of contemporary science, as it might be expected in the education of the 21st century? Do the pupils get introduced to science-based notion of language, as it is accepted in current linguistics, which is a descriptive science, that seeks to study and describe all the aspects of a language descriptively, based on facts, without prejudices and evaluations. Or is it on the contrary being followed the notion of language, which is characteristic of normativity and prescriptivism and which is rejected by contemporary linguistics as not scientific. The research analyses five Lithuanian language textbooks for 11-12th grades, published after year 2000, which have been selected for the analysis using the database of textbooks and other teaching materials (https://www.emokykla.lt/bendrasis/mokykis/vadoveliu-db/naujausi-vadoveliai). The main question, that is being raised with this research, is whether and to what extent scientific or non-scientific notion of language is being formed in school language textbooks, what attitude is predominant, and which notion of language is prevalent, if different attitudes exist. The method of the research is qualitative discourse analysis of the textbooks, using the qualitative data analysis program NVivo. The results of the textbooks’ analysis show, that non-scientific notion of language is dominant in the Lithuanian education system. The majority of the analysed textbooks represent this notion. The main characteristics of this notion, visible in the textbooks, are prescriptivism, romantic images of language, ideology of linguistic nationalism. However, besides the dominant normative approach to language, the scientific, descriptive approach is also visible in the textbooks, though to a lesser extent than the normative approach. One of the analysed textbooks is different from the rest ones with its exceptionally descriptive approach to language as a study object.