Projects / Programmes
Slovenski jezik v stiku evropskega podonavskega in alpskega prostora (Slovene)
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 6.05.01 |
Humanities |
Linguistics |
Languages - research |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 6.02 |
Humanities |
Languages and Literature |
Researchers (15)
Organisations (1)
Significance for science
The project addressed the following issues: language awareness, appropriate forms of Slovene for communication purposes, the national issue, and the contemporary role of Slovene (the relationship between the literary language norm and the dialects, Slovene in national, regional and European/university contexts: and the future prospects of the Slovene language in the Danube and the Alps-Adria regions from synchronic and diachronic perspectives. The contact with English is considered to be a global issue, while the along-the-border contact with German, Hungarian, Croatian and Italian is a regional one. The research shows that Slovene performs the same functions as other contact languages, including English. There is some concern that Slovene is threatened due to the increasing influence of English. This, however, is an unjustified concern as long as the Republic of Slovenia executes an active language policy and planning stemming from the positive European legislature and as long as it bears in mind the status of Slovene and its role in the multilingual community. In this, it follows linguistic experiences of those member states of the EU where communication is conducted in “less spread” European languages. Research shows the languages in the region to co-exist in a kind of symbiosis, with the process of borrowing that is not one-directional – Slovene plays a (strong) vital role in the two regions, especially in the areas along the borders. It exerts an influence on the neighboring languages in phonology, morphology, syntax and vocabulary. Language planning has to take into account the norms of the regional varieties of the literary language in the same way as was already the case in the 19th century, when the so-called New Slovene was codified. There are two varieties of Slovene, the Alpine and the Pannonian one, i.e. the Central and the Eastern Slovene (Eastern Styran and the Prekmurje) literary norms. Historical and linguistic as well as cultural and political relations in the region thus define the language use and the current role of the language, pointing to the direction of its future development and significant role.
Slovene Studies should (1) make sure that Slovene retains its full functionality in the common European and university contexts; (2) encourage linguistic diversity of Slovene and its diaalects in the region and across the borders; (3) consolidate the status of Slovene as one of the official languages of the EU and create opportunities for increased interest in learning Slovene; (4) ensure a high-quality of teaching Slovene, foreign languages and translation in our schools and universities. New research findings about Slovene used in the border areas is offering new perspectives on the development of Slovene, as well as on redefining rules for establishing linguistic standards and regulations. They contribute to encouraging regional cooperation (the Danube and the Alps-Adria regions) as well as to solving the once neglected issues of linguistic minorities and of language contact between Slovene and other regional languages along and across state borders.
The project is of great significance for the development of Slovene studies as it stresses the importance of language awareness, which should, in the current globalization processes in the EU and in university contexts, eliminate the unjustified fears about the danger of Slovene being displaced.. Instead, it should promote the realization that it is above all the Slovene language that gives Slovenes recognition in the EU.
Significance for the country
The reseach project emphasizes the need for reflection about the status of Slovene in the current (globalized) linguistic context from a very broad perspective: in addition to linguistic issues and to the relationship between literary language, colloquial language and dialects, we should take into account historical, cultural, political, literary, sociolinguistic and other factors that affect the role and the use of language in given time and space (in the case of Slovene, specifically the Alps-Adriatic and the Danube regions). As far as the status of Slovenia in the EU is concerned, we should pay sufficient attention to the role and significance of Slovene. We should create opportunites for increased interest in learning it and ensure that Slovene universities and scientific community treat it as equally important as English. Slovene should remain the language of instruction at public universities in the Republic of Slovenia and Slovene sholars and researchers should ensure its further professional and scientific development. The system of assessing scientific work should be modifoed in such a way that it will encourage publishing research results in Slovene. Likewise, Slovene language policy and planning should endeavour to provide answers to the most important questions about the status, role and significance of the language in new cirmucstances.
The project results represent a good starting point for the Slovene language Section at the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports working on the new Resolution about the national program for language policy 2012- 2016. Language policy in the EU is one of the most important strategic issues for Slovenia.
Slovenia is recognized in the EU through its language and its special status. European regionalization and across-the-border cooperation offer the Slovene language a special status – language contact between Slovene on the one hand and Italian, German, Hungarian and Croatian on the other places special emphasis on the question of borderline dialects, thus creating new interlingual relationships. Norms and standards represent a given, the question, however, is which criteria we should use to to determine them and what they should be able to prescribe. Slovene should go beyond the notion of a correct and beautiful language and reject the idea about the unifiying character of the Central Slovene dialects and about the idiosyncracy of the Slovene linguistic periphery.
In its relationship with the languages of the neighboring countries and with English, Slovene touches upon the issue of minority languages, language contact in the areas along the borders and the impact of the globalizing language on such linguistic intertwingings. Treating Slovene as a »small« language within the EU is unjustified. Rather we should consider it as a national, minority and the so-called regional language used in the Danube and the Alps-Adria regions, i.e. as an official language on an equal footing with other official languages of the EU.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2009,
2010,
2011,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2009,
2010,
2011,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
