Language Policy, External Political Pressure and Internal Linguistic Change: The Particularity of the Baltic Case

Ozoliņš, Uldis

doi:10.1057/978-1-137-56914-1_2

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…In this sense, our studies confirm language attitudes and FLPs reported in other studies, even if the situation of languages, political debates and educational policies in the Baltic states is certainly peculiar, regarding the century-long multilingual nature of society, but also the legacy of Soviet times with Russian as the dominant language (cf. Ozolins, 2019). In this sense, our data show that the main reasons for families with Russian as L1 to choose (pre)schools with a MOI other than the family language are, in terms of Curdt-Christiansen's model, both socioeconomical and sociocultural.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

‘Difficulties when learning, easiness when fighting’: Why do families in Latvia choose (pre)schools with a language of instruction other than their L1?

Martena,

Marten

2023

International Journal of Bilingualism

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Aims and objectives: Language debates in Latvia often focus on the role of Latvian as official and main societal language. Yet, Latvian society is highly multilingual, and families with home languages other than Latvian have to choose between different educational trajectories for their children. In this context, this paper discusses the results of two studies which addressed the question of why families with Russian as a home language choose (pre)schools with languages other than Russian as medium of instruction (MOI). The first study analyses family narratives which provide insight into attitudes and practices which lead to the decision to send children to Latvian-MOI institutions. The second study investigates language attitudes and practices by families in the international community of Riga German School. Methodology: The paper discusses data gathered during two studies: for the first, semi-structed interviews were conducted with Russian-speaking families who choose Latvian-medium schools for their children. For the second study, a survey was carried out in the community of an international school in Riga, sided by ethnographic observations and interviews with teachers and the school leadership. Data and analysis: Interviews and ethnographic observations were subjected to a discourse analysis with a focus on critical events and structures of life trajectory narratives. Survey data were processed following simple statistical analysis and qualitative content analysis. Findings/conclusions: Our data reveal that families highly embrace multilingualism and see the development of individual plurilingualism as important for integration into Latvian society as well as for educational and professional opportunities in the multilingual societies of Latvia and Europe. At the same time, multilingualism and multiculturalism, including Russian, are seen as a value in itself. In addition, our studies reflect the bidirectionality of family language policies in interplay with practices ineducational institutions: family decisions influence children’s language acquisition at school, but the school also has an impact on the families’ language practices at home. In sum, we argue that educational policies should therefore pay justice to the wishes of families in Latvia to incorporate different language aspects into individual educational trajectories. Originality: Language policy is a frequent topic of investigation in the Baltic states. However, there has been a lack in research on family language policy and school choices. In this vein, our paper adds to the understanding of educational choices and language policy processes among Russian-speaking families and the international community in Latvia.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

‘Difficulties when learning, easiness when fighting’: Why do families in Latvia choose (pre)schools with a language of instruction other than their L1?

Martena,

Marten

2023

International Journal of Bilingualism

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“…The second reason is the availability of legal documents and contacts with Canadian applied linguists, hence, the potential of further collaboration between Baltic and Quebec language policy makers and language education specialists (Druviete, 2002;Rannut, 2002). Given the political and ethno-demographic situation in the Baltic region, the application of a sound language policy, including in education, has been deemed paramount for the titular language survival (Druviete, 2002;Ozolins, 2018). In turn, the languages of schooling, their ratio, and the starting point of teaching the titular languages to the Russian-speaking minorities became highly politicised issues.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Canadian Immersion, Baltic Transitional Bilingual Education and European Plurilingualism

Bicjutko

2023

Nordic and Baltic Perspectives in Canadian Studies: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Northern Spaces Narratives

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nordic and Baltic Perspectives in Canadian Studies: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Northern Spaces Narratives

2023

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The challenge of this book is to go beyond the realm of cultural diplomacy when it comes to outlining Canadian studies. Based on renewed research into the imaginary of the North, the book explores transnordic narrative spaces between Canada, the Nordic countries and the Baltic states. Although the book takes cultural studies as its theoretical basis, opposing a diplomatic perspective and arguing that there is a specificity to Canadian culture that requires the attention of the academic world, each chapter draws on theories and methods specific to the various fields of the humanities and social sciences concerned with addressing the narratives (understood in a broad sense and including visual narratives) of this northern space.

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Language Policy, External Political Pressure and Internal Linguistic Change: The Particularity of the Baltic Case

Cited by 8 publications

References 31 publications

‘Difficulties when learning, easiness when fighting’: Why do families in Latvia choose (pre)schools with a language of instruction other than their L1?

‘Difficulties when learning, easiness when fighting’: Why do families in Latvia choose (pre)schools with a language of instruction other than their L1?

Canadian Immersion, Baltic Transitional Bilingual Education and European Plurilingualism

Nordic and Baltic Perspectives in Canadian Studies: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Northern Spaces Narratives

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