Abstract:

The paper aims at exploring the most efficient ways of supporting language diversity through the system of education. The research targets the regional languages as the most vulnarable in the context of globalization. The analisys applies the ecosystemic approach in identifying the synergetic effect of the set of measures that can provide the best possible results. Successful implementation of language-in-education policy requires a holistic approach involving the ecosystem of conditions. The type and number of measures and conditions depend on the peculiarities of the linguistic situation in the region. As a rule, the regions do not adhere to the holistic approach towards language preservation and development through the education system. Instead, they replace it with occasional actions that lead to ‘negative synergy’, i.e. disproportional decrease in efficiency of the language-in-education policy being implemented.

The language-in-education policy analysis presented in the paper reveals a significant correlation between the contemporary linguistic situation in the education system and the historical background of the language contacts in the region as well as with effectiveness and synergy of the language policy. The analysis of the historical background, the language policy, and the language-in-education policy have enabled the development ofthe sociolinguistic paradigm of the regional language-in-education policy. The proposed paradigm takes into account correlation and interdependence of historical background, language policy, and level of national (ethnic) identity. Hence, the education system is an element hinging on interdependence of these three components that influence quantitative characteristics of a regional language in the education system. Paradigm complexity proves how complicated it is to develop regional language functional power and that it is important to simultaneously consider all the components of the ongoing processes. Synergy from this viewpoint is crucial and ensures efficiency and vitality of language-in-education policy, lack or synergy leads to insignificant or negative results. As a result of the research the paper presents the ecosystem of minimum measures that need to be implemented to achieve the positive synergetic effect of the language-in-education policy towards regional languages.

Keywords:

Language-in-education policy, regional languages, synergy, ecosystemic approach.