engleski

Language Policy in Istria, Croatia – Legislation Regarding Minority Language Use

Due to its rich and turbulent history and its geographical position Istria is a rather multicultural and multilingual (also multidialectal) European region the biggest part of which belongs to Croatia. It is a region populated by members of different minority groups and the most prominent one is the Italian minority. Because of its cultural and linguistic diversity it is an interesting area for analysing language policy on both national and regional levels. In this paper the official documents on language issues are analysed in order to show how some of the “European” recommendations are implemented and how different languages, dialects as well as language issues, e.g. official bilingualism and standard languages in education, are treated by official bodies in the region. These issues and questions become even more important at present because of the approaching access of the country to full membership in the European Union. In order to understand what this membership and the preparations for it can bring and how it can influence language issues and policy, the analysis also includes the discussion of some undergoing changes influenced by European policies.

language policy; minority language; Croatia; Istria

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