The sociolinguistic situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is extremely complex and reflects the complexity of its constitutional set up, with Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs as constituent peoples (along with Others). The official languages are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian, and scripts Latin and Cyrillic. The language policy in the country is therefore not uniform and is highly politicised. The topics discussed publicly and academically are the naming of the Bosnian language (still!), the naming of the school subject, and standardisation. University departments for Bosnian and/or Croatian and/or Serbian language train future primary and secondary school teachers of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian as the first language, some of whom become language editors, while teaching of the language as a second/foreign/heritage language is not addressed at all. Due to the fact that education is in the competence of lower levels of government, the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have a mandate to propose or finance university lecturers of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian at foreign Slavic studies departments. However, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian is taught as a foreign language at some faculties in the country, as well as in private language schools. Therefore, this paper examines the current situation, relying on interviews with teachers of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian as a foreign language, and the author’s experience, and it outlines the contours of the concept of a language policy/strategy of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian as a foreign/second language in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the main question is whose policy/strategy it should be.

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Bosnian (Croatian/Serbian) as a Second/Foreign Language—Bosnia and Herzegovina Overview

  • Sandra Zlotrg

摘要

The sociolinguistic situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is extremely complex and reflects the complexity of its constitutional set up, with Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs as constituent peoples (along with Others). The official languages are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian, and scripts Latin and Cyrillic. The language policy in the country is therefore not uniform and is highly politicised. The topics discussed publicly and academically are the naming of the Bosnian language (still!), the naming of the school subject, and standardisation. University departments for Bosnian and/or Croatian and/or Serbian language train future primary and secondary school teachers of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian as the first language, some of whom become language editors, while teaching of the language as a second/foreign/heritage language is not addressed at all. Due to the fact that education is in the competence of lower levels of government, the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have a mandate to propose or finance university lecturers of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian at foreign Slavic studies departments. However, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian is taught as a foreign language at some faculties in the country, as well as in private language schools. Therefore, this paper examines the current situation, relying on interviews with teachers of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian as a foreign language, and the author’s experience, and it outlines the contours of the concept of a language policy/strategy of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian as a foreign/second language in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the main question is whose policy/strategy it should be.