National language in science: The case of Latvian

• Authors: Agnese Dubova , Diāna Laiveniece , Egita Proveja , Baiba Egle
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Aim. To show and describe the current situation in Latvian language as a case study of the problem about the place of a national language and its existence in sciences in modern globalised times, when the dominance of English as the lingua franca of science grows. Methods.  A descriptive method, including literature review of language of science used globally. Empirical discourse content analysis was conducted; it examined various documents, including Latvian legal texts that governs the rights and rules of Latvian language use, as well as a wide array of mainly online media. Results. During the study, 21 different sources and 304 online comments under articles relating to the issue were analysed. The material revealed that there is a breadth of opinions, ranging from the Ministry stance to organisations and the general public. It could be said that the main trend in the opinions can be described as follows: there is a variety of language options – a dissertation written only in Latvian; a dissertation written in English; a choice of language that is up to the doctoral student. This would ensure that the language choice fits the doctoral students’ goals and field of research and making English mandatory would not likely lead to guaranteed scientific excellence as what matters is the research itself, not the language. Conclusions. National language of science is a current issue in Latvia, as there is a need for state language use in the scientific register. The discussed Ministry document is still a draft report and it is not yet known what final decisions on the PhD process and dissertation language will be taken. Latvian is a scientific language and it should be recognised as one of the languages used in science  within the international scientific discourse.

Keywords

EN

language use in science, national language, Latvian, English, dissertation defense

• Publisher: Fundacja Pro Scientia Publica
• Journal: Journal of Education Culture and Society
• Year: 2020
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 325-342

Dates

published

2020-06-27

Contributors

author

Agnese Dubova

• Faculty of Translation Studies, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences Inženieru 101, 3601 Ventspils

author

Diāna Laiveniece

• Faculty of Humanitarian Science and Arts Liepaja University Kūrmājas prospekts 13, 3401 Liepāja

author

Egita Proveja

• Faculty of Translation Studies Ventspils University of Applied Sciences Inženieru 101, 3601 Ventspils

author

Baiba Egle

• Faculty of Translation Studies Ventspils University of Applied Sciences Inženieru 101, 3601 Ventspils

References

• Albrecht, S. (2014). Der emergente Diskurs im Internet: Wahrnehmung im Internet der Nanotechnologie im Spiegel der Online-Diskursanalyse. In: C. Fraas, S. Meier, & C. Pentzold (Eds.). Online-Diskurse. Theorien und Methoden transmedialer Online-Diskursforschung (pp. 364–403). Köln: Herbert von Halem Verlag.
• Altbach, P. G. (2013). The International Imperative in Higher Education. Brill: Sense.
• Anstrate, V. (2019). Ministrija sola saglabāt valsts valodu zinātnē [The Ministry promises to preserve the Latvian language in science]. LSM.LV, Dec 4. Retrieved Jan 22, 2020 from https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/ministrija-sola-saglabat-valsts-valodu zinatne.a340606/
• APA (2020). APA Dictionary of Psychology. Retrieved Feb 5, 2020. From https://dictionary.apa.org/balanced-bilinguali
• Bennet, K. (2015). Towards an epistemological monocultureMechanisms of epistemicide in European research publications. In: R. Plo Alastrué, & C. Pérez-Lantada (Eds.). English as a Scientific and Research Language (pp. 9–3: 5). Berlin: de Gruyter.
• Curry, M. J., & Lillis, T. (2007). The dominance of English in global scholarly publishing. International Higher Education, 46. Retrived May 15, 2020 from https://doi.org/10.6017/ihe.2007.46.7948
• Čīka, I. (2019). Neatkarīgā izglītības biedrība: Promocijas darbu vērtība var „pazust tulkojumā” [Independent Education Society: The value of dissertations could be “lost in translation”]. LETA, Dec 8. Retrieved Jan 20, 2020 from https://skaties.lv/zinas/latvija/ politika/neatkariga-izglitibas-biedriba-promocijas-darbu-vertiba-var-pazust-tulkojuma/
• Duszak, A. (1997). Cross-cultural academic communication a discourse – community view. In: A. Duszak (Ed.): Culture and Styles of Academic Discourse (pp. 11–39). Berlin; New York: de Gruyter.
• European Commission (2014). Conclusions on multilingualism and the development of language competences. Retrieved Feb 5, 2020 from https://www.consilium.europa.eu/ uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/educ/142692.pdf
• Fairclough, N. (1995). Critical discourse analysis. The critical study of language. London: Longman.
• Finster, D. (2011). Online Communities. Geschäftsmodelle unter dem Einfluss des Electronic Commerce. Hamburg: Diplomica Verlag.
• Gardt, A. (2007). Diskursanalyse. Aktueller theoretischer Ort und methodische Möglichkeiten. Retrieved Jan 20, 2020 from https://www.uni-kassel.de/fb02/fileadmin/datas/fb02/Institut_f%C3%BCr_Germanistik/Dateien/DISKURSANALYSE_gardt.pdf
• Helsinki Initiative on Multilingualism in Scholarly Communication. (2020). Retrieved Feb 5, 2020 from https://www.helsinki-initiative.org/en/info
• Hyland, K. (2015). Academic Publishing. Issues and Challenges in the Construction of Knowledge. Oxford: University Press.
• IZM (2019). Par konceptuāli jauna doktorantūras ietvara un jauna promocijas procesa ieviešanu Latvijā: projekts [Conceptual Report about a conceptually new doctoral studies framework and dissertation defence process in Latvia: Draft]. Rīga: IZM.
• Jundze, A. (2019). Vai latviešu valodas bēres? [A funeral for the Latvian language?]. NRA.LV, Nov 20. Retrieved Feb 5, 2020 from https://nra.lv/latvija/297551-vai-latviesu-valodas-beres.htm
• Kasparāns, Ģ. (2019). Valdis Muktupāvels: Ar vēlmi eksperimentēt mums viss ir kārtībā [intervija] [Valdis Multupāvels: Our urge to experiment is fine]. LA.LV, Oct 27. Retrieved Jan 20, 2020 from https://www.la.lv/tautas-muzika-ir-dziva
• Kuzmina, I. (2019a). Vai nākotnē latviešu valoda būs tikai ķēķa valoda? [Will Latvian be used only at home in the future?]. LA.LV., Nov 20, Retrieved Feb 5, 2020 from https://www.la.lv/bazijas-par-latviesu-valodas-vietu-zinatne
• Kuzmina, I. (2019b). Latviešu valoda zinātnē nosargāta? [Latvian has been protected in science?]. LA.LV., Dec 8, Retrieved Feb 5, 2020 from https://www.la.lv/latviesu-valoda-zinatne-nosargata
• Langin, K. (2019). For academics, what matters more: journal prestige or readership? Washington: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Retrieved 15 May, 2020 from doi:10.1126/science.caredit.aay8817
• Latvian Public Broadcasting/ LTV (2019). Will future of doctoral theses be in Latvian or English? LSM.LV, Nov 20. Retrieved Jan 22, 2020 from https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/ education/will-future-of-doctoral-theses-be-in-latvian-or-english.a338990/
• Law of Scientific Activity (2005). Retrieved Jan 20, 2020 from https://likumi.lv/ ta/en/en/id/107337
• LETA (2019a). Atklātā vēstulē iebilst pret IZM jauno doktorantūras modeli [Objections against the Education and Science Ministry’s new model of doctoral studies are voiced in an open letter]. DELFI.LV, Nov 27. Retrieved Jan 10, 2020 from https://www.delfi.lv/ news/national/politics/atklata-vestule-iebilst-pret-izm-jauno-doktoranturas-modeli.d?id=51674165
• LETA (2019b). Akadēmiskajam personālam nav vienprātības par latviešu valodas lomu promocijas darbos [Academics are not unanimous about the role of the Latvian language in doctoral dissertations] DELFI.LV, Dec 4. Retrieved Feb 5, 2020 from https://www.delfi.lv/news/national/politics/akademiskajam-personalam-nav-vienpratibas-par-latviesu-valodas-lomu-promocijas-darbos.d?id=51692495
• Liberts M. (2019). Promocijas darbs latviski vai angliski? [Doctoral dissertation in Latvian or English?]. Nov 21. Retrieved Feb 5, 2020 from https://djhurio.wordpress. com/2019/11/21/promocijas-darbs-latviski-vai-angliski/
• LIZDA (2019). Inga Vanaga: jāļauj doktorantiem izvēlēties, kādā valodā rakstīt promocijas darbu [Inga Vanaga: Doctoral students should be given a language choice for their dissertation]. LIZDA.LV, Nov 27. Retrieved Feb 5, 2020 from https://www.lizda.lv/ current_events/inga-vanaga-jalauj-doktorantiem-izveleties-kada-valoda-rakstit-promocijas-darbu/
• LJZA (2019). LJZA komentārs par valodas prasībām promocijas darbam [LJZA commentary about the requirements of a doctoral dissertation]. LJZA.LV, Dec 10. Retrieved Feb 5, 2020 from http://ljza.lv/ljza-komentars-par-valodas-prasibam-promocijas-darbam/
• LLVA (2019a). Latviešu valodas pozīciju stiprināšana vai graušana? [Strenghtening or destruction of the Latvian language?]. IR.LV, Nov 20. Retrieved Jan 10, 2020 from https://ir.lv/2019/11/20/latviesu-valodas-poziciju-stiprinasana-vai-to-grausana
• LLVA (2019b). Ministrija sola promocijas procesu valsts valodā [The Ministry promises a dissertation defense procedure in the state language]. Dec 11. Retrieved Feb 5, 2020 from http://llva.lv/2019/12/11/ministrija-sola-promocijas-procesu-valsts-valoda/
• LLVA (2019c). Trauksmes vēstule par bezprecendenta draudiem latviešu valodas nākotnei [Alert Letter about a non-precendented level of threat against the future of the Latvian language]. IR.LV, Nov 28. Retrieved Jan 10, 2020 from https://ir.lv/2019/11/28/ trauksmes-vestule-par-bezprecedenta-draudiem-latviesu-valodas-nakotnei/
• Montgomery, S. L. (2016). Impacts of a Global Language on Science. Are There Disadvantages? In: M. MacLeod, R. G. Sumillera, J. Surman, & E. Smirnova (Eds.): Language as a Scientific Tool. Shaping Scientific Language Across Time and National Tradition (pp. 199–218). New York; London: Routledge.
• Muktupāvela, R. (2015). Etniskums globalizācijas laikmetā: mazākumtautību seminārs. [Ethnicity in the age of globalisation: a seminar for minority groups.]. [Prezentācija]. Retrieved Jan 19, 2020 from http://belorus.lv/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Muktipavele_ Mazakumtautibu-seminars-2015.pdf
• Official Language Law (1999). Retrieved Jan 20, 2020 from https://likumi.lv/ta/en/en/id/ 14740
• Paiders, J. (2019). Steidzami jāmaina Satversmes preambula un 4. pants! [Paragraph 4 of the Latvian Constitution should be changed immediately!]. NRA.LV, Nov 22. Retrieved Jan 20, 2020 from https://nra.lv/viedokli/juris-paiders-3/297744-steidzami-jamaina-satversmes-preambula-un-4-pants.htm
• Phillipson, R. (1992). Linguistic Imperialism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Runce, I. (2013). Latgales teritoriālā identitāte glokalizācijas un globalizācijas krustceļos [The Territorial Identity of Latgale in the Crossroads of Glocalization and Globalization]. Via Latgalica: humanitāro zinātņu žurnāls (pp. 81–85). Rēzekne: Rēzeknes Augstskola.
• Sivertsen, G. (2018). Balanced multilingualism in science. BiD: textos universitaris de biblioteconomia i documentació, 40. Retrieved Feb 5, 202081–85 from http://bid.ub.edu/en/40/ sivertsen.htm, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1344/BiD2018.40.25
• Stokes, B. (2017). 1. Language: The cornerstone of national identity. Pew Researcher Center. Retrieved Jan 25, 2020 from https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2017/02/01/ language-the-cornerstone-of-national-identity/
• The Constitution of the Republic of Latvia (1922). Retrieved Jan 20, 2020 from https://likumi.lv/ta/en/en/id/57980-the-constitution-of-the-republic-of-latvia
• TVNET/LETA (2019). Kādā valodā jāraksta promocijas darbi? IZM piedāvā – vismaz angliski [What language should dissertations be written in? The Ministry of Education and Science says – at least in English]. TVNET.LV, Nov 19. Retrieved Jan 10, 2020 from https://www.tvnet.lv/6829876/kada-valoda-jaraksta-promocijas-darbi-izm-piedava-vismaz-angliski
• Vīksne, I. (2019). Inteliģence mobilizējas valsts valodas aizsardzībai [The Intelligentsia mobilises itself for the defence of the state language]. NRA.LV, Nov 20. Retrieved Feb 5, 2020 from https://nra.lv/latvija/izglitiba-karjera/297530-inteligence-mobilizejas-valsts-valodas-aizsardzibai.htm
• Wheeler, A. G. (1989). The Pressure to Publish Promotes Disreputable Science. The Scientist. Retrieved Feb 5, 2020 from https://www.the-scientist.com/opinion-old/the-pressure-to-publish-promotes-disreputable-science-61944
• Zanders, M. (2019). Zinātne latviešu valodā – provinciālisms? [Science in Latvian – provincial?]. Satori.lv, Dec 2. Retrieved Feb 5, 2020 from https://satori.lv/article/zinatne-latviesu-valoda-provincialisms

Identifiers

DOI

10.15503/jecs2020.1.325.342