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Positioning the Croatian language by regulating Croatian as L2

The positioning of the Croatian language in relation to other European and world languages during Croatia’s integration into the European Union is one of many vital, strategic, and national issues facing the Republic of Croatia. Consequently, this has become one of the most frequent topics in Croatian linguistic studies. In most of these studies, the Croatian language is observed only as a first language (L1). As a result, they focus mostly on standardization issues, such as lexicon and orthography. Locally, Croatian as a second language is basically neglected, as there is no real awareness of the importance of its role in Croatian society. However, foreigners in Croatia primarily experience Croatian as a foreign or second language (L2). Therefore, Croatian as a second language (CL2) has an important role with regard to the external perception of Croatia and its language. This fact puts CL2 in an important and unavoidable position in relation to other languages in the region, Europe, and the world. Because they influence the perception of CL2 in Croatian society, legislation and logistical support given by local institutions play an important role in the status of the Croatian language. It is necessary to develop an appropriate and comprehensive policy for the positioning of the Croatian language via strategies that would help the Republic of Croatia in the process of European integration, and this policy should come from the highest levels of the Croatian government. These strategies could be directed in two ways. The Croatian parliament could pass legislation giving regulatory support for CL2 in Croatian society. Alternatively, the government could move towards the development of legal provisions and their implementation in the activities of all of Croatia’s institutions connected with the functioning of CL2. This paper discusses what is needed from CL2 legislation on the jurisdiction and activities of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the Ministry of Labor and Retirement System, and the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia.

language policy, Croatian as a foreign and second language, language legislation

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