This article examines the concept of English as a lingua franca (ELF) in the context of lingua franca communication in general, with special emphasis on the contemporary Czech context. It begins by elaborating upon the context of World Englishes, on the basis of which ELF has become the subject of scholarly inquiry. Using examples from recent research, it then provides a brief analysis of the issues which arise in connection with the discussion of ELF in the Czech Republic: 1) the sociolinguistic situation of English in the Czech Republic, and 2) the connection between languages in the role of a lingua franca and metalinguistic behaviour, norms and expectations. It concludes by arguing that the phenomenon of lingua franca communication is a more general one, even applicable to languages such as Czech, and that the description of lingua franca interaction and its utilization in language planning (specifically acquisition planning) should be based on the relevant sociolinguistic theory.
In order to describe and explain the differences in the form of language of different types of bilingual speakers, it is important to analyse not only the language, but also the language ideologies and language management, which reflect and co-determine its use. This article deals with language ideologies and language management in narrative interviews with German-Czech bilinguals who emigrated from the Czech part of Czechoslovakia to the Federal Republic of Germany in the years 1964–1986. The respondents are divided into late ethnic repatriates of Sudeten German origin (Spätaussiedler*innen) and migrants without German roots (Migrant*innen). Against the background of the different linguistic biographies of these groups of respondents, the article reconstructs the different forms of their linguistic ideologies and language management. The language ideologies shaped by family background have a crucial impact on the language management and the resulting linguistic as well as social practices of the respondents. They also correlate with the frequency and nature of language contact phenomena in both Czech and German.
This article, drawing upon Juraj Dolník’s book on the theory of standard language with regard to standard Slovak (2010), concentrates on the question of the sources of standard variety and the problem of objectivity of scientific knowledge. Reconsidering Dolník’s concept of norm critically, it places emphasis on the fact that linguistic norms, as a part of social norms, are constituted in interactions, which helps to explain their indexicality. It also argues that language users are actors in social processes who hold specific social roles, which corresponds to their differing power (and vice versa). Referring to Language Management Theory, the article concludes with some more general arguments in favor of qualitative methodology in the research on linguistic norms and the standard variety.
This paper outlines the basics of the Prague School concept of language cultivation and main features of how it has been put into practice in the Czech Republic, and compares this approach with current language planning in Sweden. The paper aims at (1) placing the Prague School concept of language cultivation within the framework of international sociolinguistics, (2) pointing out that this concept contributes only partially to solving the language problems of contemporary societies, (3) outlining the possibilities of language cultivation in the post-modern era, while paying attention to language standardization, de-standardization and management. The author argues that the access of the Czech Republic to the EU will change the language situation of the country including the focus of and attitudes toward language planning.
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