Ethnolinguistic Situation and Language Policy in Haiti

The article presents the dynamics of the language situation in the Republic of Haiti and its characteristics at the present stage, as well as an analysis of the language policy and language legislation in the country. The paper also analyses the functioning of languages in the spheres of communication regulated by the state and in interpersonal communication such as in the family, at home, etc., is also analysed. The main attention is paid to the use of languages in the educational system, which is one of the most important spheres of commu-nication both for the transfer of knowledge and culture from generation to generation and for the formation of the language competence of the younger generation of the country. The Republic of Haiti is an example of a language situation in a former colony, where after two hundred years of independence French, the language of the colonizers, still domi-nates in the educational system at the expense of Haitian Creole, which is spoken by 90% of the population.

Multilingualism in Prizren, Language Use and Language Policy

This research focuses on theoretical and practical issues of multilingualism in Prizren, the Republic of Kosovo’s most linguistically diverse city. It examines the city’s linguistic landscape, culture, and values, investigating language use at home, in public, and in institutions. It analyzes language legislation and its often uneven implementation. In the last 20 years the language situation in Prizren has changed dramatically. This research attempts to provide a clear picture of the current language situation of Prizren in the new and independent Republic of Kosovo, and is relevant for the general public, minority communities, government, non government and international organizations. The research was conducted in order to shed more light on the concept of multilingual societies. The central sources for this research are the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo, the policy on language rights and language use in the country, questionnaires, and observation.

THE LANGUAGE QUESTION AS A FACTOR OF INFLUENCE ON UKRAINE’S NATIONAL SECURITY

The purpose of the article is to analyze the linguistic situation in Ukraine and to discuss its relation to Ukrainian statehood. The current language situation mirrors the socio-political situation in Ukraine and interrelates with language legislation as practiced by Ukrainian institutions of state power. As of today, language legislation is one of the most powerful tools to strengthen the state and increase national stability. In Ukraine language was, is and continues to be a cornerstone of national unity and national security. At present, the Ukrainian language is widely believed to be essential for the persistence of the Ukrainian ethnos. It is an important tool for the consolidation of Ukrainian collective consciousness and the spiritual unity of society. Ukrainian society, which is faced with a number of serious problems, needs a revision of its state-building strategy for the sake of national security. A consolidation of Ukrainian society and a clear national idea is key for a prosperous future of Ukraine. The ethnos is the power of the nation. There is no state without a nation. Language plays a significant role for the conservation of the ethnic identity of a nation and its organization in a state. Namely, the civic society of a state has common interests, values, ideas, emotions etc., which are shared in the process of societal communication based on symbolic messages. These symbolic messages have to be codified in a state language, because, according to Wilhelm von Humboldt, language is the expression of the spirit of a people. Language reflects the level of the power of spiritual energy for the consolidation of national strength. All state mechanisms (the governmental apparatus, administrative and financial institutions) should guarantee the effective functioning of the Ukrainian state language in all spheres of societal life of Ukraine. As far as minority languages are concerned, the state can only guarantee their free development and their protection from suppression, but is not obliged to take on maximum obligations. In this study we discuss how linguistic and legal problems interrelate with basic human rights and freedom and how a consolidated language policy serves the national interests of Ukrainian society. The experience of the last decades, namely the period of Russian aggression against Ukraine, shows how different political forces use language legislation, e.g., the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, with manipulative intentions. National identity is constructed by such crucial parameters as language, historical experience and faith. According to current surveys, the majority of Ukrainians share distinctly pro-European views, although modern Ukrainian society is still shaken by disinformation and fake news. We offer a list of proposals that will help to consolidate national security in Ukraine.

Language policy of the Russian Federation: searching for balance among 150 languages

The article presents an analysis of language legislation in the Russian Federation (RF), focusing on the laws adopted in Russia since the dissolution of the USSR up to the present time. It shows that language legislation in the RF reflects the changes in the balance of power between the central federal authorities and the constituent republics as the federal centre tried to ensure the unity of the state without antagonising ethnic minorities. The history of language legislation in the USSR and the RF reveals a “pendulum swing” pattern in which the focus on the rights of minority languages shifts to promoting Russian as a lingua franca to create a unified communicative space within the RF. Special emphasis is laid on the educational domain as educational issues proved to be an especially sensitive matter for Russian citizens. A case study of language policies in Tatarstan highlights the heated debates provoked by the latest initiatives concerning teaching regional languages, revealing problems encountered by lawmakers due to opposing priorities of stakeholders with different ethnic backgrounds.

Restructuring, 1997–2005

This chapter focuses on the long and ultimately successful campaigns for Gaelic language legislation and a dedicated Gaelic television service between 1997 and 2005. The opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 ushered in a new political era in Scotland, and this brought opportunities for more focused policy-making in relation to Gaelic. The government initially resisted calls for Gaelic language legislation but ultimately relented, so that the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, was enacted in 2005. Proposals for a Gaelic television service took several years to come to fruition due to political and financial constraints, but agreement was ultimately reached to develop the digital service BBC ALBA. The first dedicated Gaelic school opened in Glasgow in 1999, and the presence of Gaelic in the linguistic landscape expanded, as bilingual signage was authorised for wider use.

Problems of the judicial system reforming in Ukraine in the context of the language legislation optimization

The article deals with the problem of raising the linguistic competence of civil servants, such as judges of all levels and jurisdictions. Language planning as a part of the state language policy is the subject to change in both the corpus and status, that leads to new challenges to reforming the judiciary in Ukraine. The role of the linguistic competence of judges, acting on behalf of the State of Ukraine, who should do it as correctly as possible, not only from the point of view of jurisprudence, but also in view of the perfection of linguistic means (which generally contributes to enhancing the authority of the court and its credibility), has not been yet an object of a certain scientific investigation. This determines the relevance of the proposed research. The purpose of the article is to find out the peculiarities of the formation of the judge linguistic competence, in particular the factors influencing its level, ways of its improvement and specifics of further evaluation. The updated language legislation stipulates that the future judge, as a public official, should have a good command of the state language, which must be confirmed by the appropriate state certificate issued by the National State Language Standards Commission. At the same time, the legal norm is to formalize court decisions in accordance with the standards of the state language, which have changed since the new version of the Spelling of the Ukrainian language came into force. The article provides the analysis of the specific cases of updated norms of modern Ukrainian literary language and the practice of their use in the work of judges, including the use of capital letters in the titles of the highest state positions and Internet terms, the variability of excellent endings of oikonyms, writing complex words with a foreign language prefix and more. Preparing for obtaining the certificate of the international standard on the level of command of the state language by representatives of the judiciary of Ukraine, outlining ways, forms and methods of its organization are perspective issues for further research.