The Phenomenon of Bilingualism in Slovakia

The present chapter deals with the phenomenon of bilingualism in Slovakia in general and the concept of so-called intentional bilingualism in particular. This approach has been gaining popularity and has been implemented in monolingual countries of Europe, with the Slovak Republic being no exception. Several studies on successful implementation of intentional bilingualism in monolingual settings in Slovakia have been published in the literature. First, the theoretical background is presented and the relevant literature is reviewed. Intentional bilingualism is defined, the forms of bilingualism in Slovakia are depicted, possible benefits of bilingualism and some prejudices against it, as well as methods of bilingual upbringing in families, are described. The subsequent research part presents a narrative family case study on intentional bilingualism. The bilingual upbringing of a child in a monolingual culture is described and conclusions are outlined.