PERSPECTIVE OF NEW EUROPEAN LANGUAGE POLICY New Multilingualism and Learning of Foreign Languages

• Main Author: Karmen Krajina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Faculty of Economics in Osijek 2008-12-01
• Series: Ekonomski Vjesnik
• Subjects: multilingualism; language policy; learning foreign languages; globalization; internationalization
• Online Access: http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/66798

In the society of total globalization and internationalization, model of multilingualism is not new model. The factors of globalization and internationalization considerably contribute to its importance. The work is dealing with the notion of multilingualism and learning of foreign languages as a part of language policy respectively. We can examine the multilingual model on the European level as the basic value since the structure of European integration processes particularly distinguished language and cultural variety of the member countries. What to accentuate here is the importance of choice of an individual language and access of learning of certain language in schools as well as the way and the volume of the offer. In Europe, the multilingualism becomes a standard but to urge it in small countries does not mean to push out mother tongue. On the contrary, it means to stop giving advantage to native speakers who speak the languages of the large countries. Cultural and language particularities of EU country members will be an important identification characteristic meaning further on that multilingualism will become one of the features of the Europeans, similar to countries like Switzerland, Belgium and Luxemburg. Thus, we can suppose that the importance of various languages in Europe will become even more distinguished and that it will be a challenge to the contact linguistics, notably to language policy. Besides, it is necessary to examine very carefully the plan of introduction and order of learning foreign languages. The conclusion within the structure of multilingual policy is to systematize with argument and plan the Croatian language policy and to carry out the choice and order in learning certain foreign languages.