engleski

"We can charge in Chinese, in Japanese, ...in any language": Multilingual competence as a form of economic capital

Contemporary trends and changes within the global economy significantly affect and determine specific linguistic practices of individuals. Within the global economy, language very often becomes perceived as a commodity or a source of profit (Heller 2003, 2010), and the emphasis is placed on its economic role and value. If we consider language varieties as products that can be invested in different markets (Bourdieu 1977, 1986, 1992), then multilingual competence brings many advantages on the global market. This is, however, not always the case when it comes to the proficiency in a minority language which possibly has no economic value. In this context, the paper will explore how multilingual competence can be transformed into economic capital on the example of linguistic practices of Albanians working in tourism and catering industry in two multilingual and multicultural towns of Istria (Croatia). The paper is based on ethnographic research conducted in Pula and Rovinj: semi-structured interviews with members of Albanian national minority and observation of everyday linguistic practices (private vs. public interactions) at the workplace. Preliminary results indicate that Albanians' multilingual competence is perceived as a source of economic profit, while Albanian (a minority language) has no economic value in that context. However, being a mother tongue, it operates as a form of solidarity and a strong symbol of identity and thus can also be regarded a form of capital (symbolic and social).

multilingual competence; market; capital; Albanian language; anthropology

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