The Latvian referendum on Russian as a second state language, February 2012

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ina Druviete ◽  
Uldis Ozolins
Keyword(s):  
Language Policy ◽  
Policy Issue ◽  
Constitutional Amendment ◽  
European Institutions ◽  
Political Forces ◽  
Societal Level ◽  
Language Law ◽  
Political Character ◽  
New Phase ◽  
State Language

On 18 February 2012 Latvian citizens participated in a referendum on making Russian a second official (“state”) language. The proposal was rejected by three-quarters of voters. There is a complex background to language policy in Latvia, where since regaining independence in 1991 the country has promoted Latvian as the only state language, though Russian and other languages are widely used at a societal level. The language law and associated citizenship law in Latvia (as in Estonia) have received considerable commentary, with recent significant writings disagreeing strongly regarding their interpretation. These laws have also very often been criticized by both European institutions and by Russia, yet are tenaciously clung to as a basis of Latvian sovereignty. Proficiency in Latvian among previous non-speakers of this language has improved markedly since regained independence, and generally there has been little interpersonal or community confict over language. The move for a referendum, promoted by Russian groups of a highly political character, and with a particular discourse about Latvia and language, brings a new phase to an ongoing language policy issue. Subsequent events both in Latvia (in the form of a constitutional amendment) and in Ukraine (in the form of both language law and armed conflict) show language policy being increasingly influenced by wider political forces.

TAJIKISTAN LANGUAGE POLICY IN THE CONTEXT OF IMPLEMENTATION THE STATE LANGUAGE LAW

2020 ◽  
pp. 18-27
Author(s):  
Sanovbar G. Sabirova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
Language Education ◽  
The State ◽  
Language Preservation ◽  
Economic Discourse ◽  
Modern Development ◽  
Historical Heritage ◽  
Language Law ◽  
State Language

The article is an attempt to analyze the language policy of Tajikistan in the context of implementation the state language law. The article provides information from regulatory documents, analyzes the main terms, in particular the key concept “language policy”. The main features of Tajikistan language policy revealed; implementation spheres described in perspective and retrospective directions. On the subject of effectiveness, the author analyzed the adopted by the country’s leadership practical measures and strategic programs for the development and the state language preservation. The main problems of the language policy implementation highlighted in the framework of language and terminology planning. The primary issues of the term-creating process based on Tajik economic discourse highlighted and the language policy active and passive tools identified. The basic provisions on state policy studied in the field of professionally oriented language education, which formulates and regulates the standards for studying the state (Tajik) language, the language of international communication (Russian) and foreign languages, since the education sector acts as the basic platform for the language policy implementation. The dominant areas of the state language modern development identified in the framework of the declared topics. Thus, Tajikistan language policy defined as a constructive, timely set of measures aimed at preserving and promoting the cultural and historical heritage and national color.

scholarly journals Legislative regulation of linguistic relationships in Ukraine

2019 ◽  
pp. 127-144
Author(s):  
Iuliya Makarets
Keyword(s):  
Language Policy ◽  
The State ◽  
Political Support ◽  
National Language ◽  
State Legislation ◽  
World Community ◽  
Linguistic Model ◽  
Legislative Regulation ◽  
The Status ◽  
State Language

The article focuses on the issue of legislative regulation of linguistic relationships in Ukraine. The ability of a national language to function as a means of consolidation and national identification depends to a large extent on state linguistic policy, political support that the language receives. The state legislation on language is indicative in this regard while it establishes the status of languages, the linguistic model and the linguistic regime. In accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine, the Ukrainian language is a state language in Ukraine. The dynamics of the Ukrainian legislation on languages illustrates the inconsistency of the implementation of this constitutional norm. The article analyzes the milestones of its formation. The content of the basic laws in the sphere of linguistic relationships (Law of the USSR ‘On Languages in the Ukrainian SSR’ (1989), the Law of Ukraine ‘On the Principles of the State Language Policy’ (2012), which is invalid now, and the new Law of Ukraine ‘On the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as a State Language’ (2019)), the socio-political tendencies, that preceded their adoption, their evaluation by tpublic and world community as well as their consequences for linguistic situation in Ukraine are described. The possibility of official bilingualism approving is studied. The article analyzes historical, cultural and political preconditions for the adoption of official bi- or multilingualism by other states, acceptability of this linguistic model for Ukraine and possibility to overcome existing linguistic contradictions.

THE STATE LANGUAGE

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-123
Author(s):  
Maria V. Oreshkina ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
Language Contact ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Language Legislation ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
Interdisciplinary Nature ◽  
Bilingualism And Multilingualism ◽  
Language Conflict ◽  
State Language

The Sociolinguistic Glossary aims to provide a systematized corpus of basic terms and concepts of modern sociolinguistics, which since the second half of the XXth century has been rapidly developing at the junction of various humanities and social sciences and is being replenished with new concepts of an interdisciplinary nature, acquiring and developing its own conceptual and terminological apparatus. The articles of the Sociolinguistic Glossary will be devoted to the most important topical issues of sociolinguistics-language and society, language and nation, interaction of language and culture, bilingualism and multilingualism, language policy and language legislation, language planning, as well as concepts used in sociolinguistics as fundamental: language situation, language policy, language conflict, language contact, methods of sociolinguistic research, etc. Special attention in the glossary entries will be given to the languages of Russia.

scholarly journals Language Policy of the Russian Federation

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (22) ◽  
pp. 165-177
Author(s):  
Vesna Kosmajac ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Language Policy ◽  
Russian Federation ◽  
The State ◽  
Russian Language ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
The Law ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Russian Language ◽  
State Language

This paper presents a sociolinguistic analysis of the current linguistic situation in the Russian Federation. Preservation and development of the Russian language represents the national interest of the state. The Russian language has the status of a state language, but, given the large number of ethnic groups living on the territory of Russia, it must not jeopardise other national languages, as this could lead to inter-ethnic conflicts. Some of the key issues Russia is currently facing in this field are: the process of globalisation, the uncontrolled penetration of anglicisms into the Russian language, the adverse impact of the Internet and social networks on literacy, especially with the younger population. All valid rules of the Russian orthography are, in fact, prescribed by the Government of The Russian Federation. Laws regulating the area of language policy are the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Law on the Languages of the Peoples of the Russian Federation, and the Law on the State Language of the Russian Federation.

scholarly journals MODERN STATE LANGUAGE POLICY

2015 ◽  
pp. 161-170
Author(s):  
Olga B. Akimova ◽  
Tatyana S. Tabachenko
Keyword(s):  
Language Policy ◽  
Modern State ◽  
State Language

scholarly journals LANGUAGE POLICY AS A FACTOR OF MODERN UKRAINIAN DOMESTIC POLITICAL CONFRONTATION

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 37-55
Author(s):  
Svetlana A. Koloda ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Language Policy ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Political Struggle ◽  
National Minorities ◽  
Political Forces ◽  
Legislative Framework ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
The Government ◽  
New Education ◽  
Everyday Communication

The article presents the analysis of the ukrainian language policy from 1989 to the present. The peculiarity of the ethnolinguistic situation is due to the multinationality and the use of a large number of languages for everyday communication by citizens of Ukraine. The author gives a description of the national and linguistic situation, brings the analysis of the ethnic structure in accordance with the choice of the language of everyday communication. The controversial nature of language policy is the result of a fierce internal political struggle. The language issue was one of the key issues in all Ukrainian elections from 1989 to 2019. The language of everyday communication also has a great influence on the electoral behavior of citizens. The author's attention is focused on the use of linguistic and ethno-confessional contradictions by Ukrainian political forces waging a struggle for power. The analysis of the key regulatory legal acts that implement, to one degree or another, the state language policy. The author comes to the conclusion about a solid legislative framework necessary for the implementation of a language policy that takes into account the interests of all citizens of multinational Ukraine. But the adopted other contradictory laws and by-laws, as well as political contradictions both in the government and between the government and the opposition, create a conflict situation that negatively affects the socio-political situation in the country. Representatives of European states, primarily Hungary, gave a negative assessment to certain Ukrainian laws regulating language policy. The main argument is the new Education Law, the provisions of which infringe on the rights of national minorities

scholarly journals The Ukrainian language in the polylingual space of Transcarpathia

2021 ◽  
pp. 3-19
Author(s):  
Halyna Shumytska ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Language Policy ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
The State ◽  
Border Region ◽  
National Minority ◽  
Minority Languages ◽  
Language Policies ◽  
Political Situation ◽  
State Language

This article explores trends in language policies in the Transcarpathian region during 1991–2020 within the general Ukrainian sociopolitical context. It is argued that the status of the Ukrainian language as the state language in the region has become strengthened as evidenced by recent developments in language planning and language policy, including the adoption of the Law “On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Lan-guage as the Official Language”. However, the manipulation of the language question in Ukraine, especially in the border regions, has taken on a political character, spreading beyond the borders of the state, threatening the constitutional order and the state sovereignty of Ukraine, in particu-lar in education, economics, and legal sphere. In Transcarpathia, a multi-ethnic border region in the extreme west of Ukraine, warrants attention of both scholars and politicians. This article looks into the changes in the Ukrainian language policies in the local state administration, and the importance of the Ukrainian president office in this regard. Specific features of the linguo-political situation in Transcarpathia, viewed at different periods of its development from the independence of Ukraine in 1991 on-ward, are presented. This study determines the role of the media in shaping a regional linguo-political situation, including the Internet media language space. The paper provides data of a comprehensive analy-sis of the results of the 2017–2019 external independent evaluation as an indicator of language competence of the participants of EIE, the results of research on the perception of educational language innovations in the region through a survey of different categories of respondents during 2018, the monitoring of experimental experience in implementing elements of multilingual edu-cation in educational institutions in Ukraine, particularly in Transcarpathia. The author outlines prospects for continued research in the framework of the project “Debat ing Linguistic Diversity: Managing National Minority Languages in Ukraine and Russia” (2020–2023). Keywords: language policy, language situation, state language, mother tongue, minority language, multilingual education, mass media.

Sudan’s draft electoral law will deepen poll fears

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Constitutional Amendment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Political Coalitions ◽  
Congress Party ◽  
Political Forces ◽  
National Congress ◽  
Electoral Law

Subject Sudan's draft electoral law. Significance The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) is poised to table a controversial draft electoral law ahead of elections scheduled for 2020. President Omar al-Bashir is also widely expected to seek a constitutional amendment to allow him to run for office again, after the NCP nominated him as its party candidate in August. Opposition parties have rejected the electoral law, which they see as evidence of Bashir’s intention to manipulate the process to ensure his victory. Impacts Some opposition and political forces may look to forge new political coalitions or alliances to increase their leverage. Bashir’s intransigence over his re-election will strain relations with key foreign partners such as the United States. Deep economic crisis and hardships for ordinary Sudanese will amplify domestic discontent with the NCP’s rule.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document