There is wide agreement among scholars that economic factors play an important role in the preserva-tion of the ethnolinguistic vitality of different groups within a society, and in the choice and use of individual languages. The interaction between the economy and multilingualism is increasingly clear, with economic variables having an important influence on language diversity, language maintenance, and language shift. The paper examines whether bilingualism has a real economic value in the officially recognized nationally/ethnically mixed regions of Slovenia, or whether its value is restricted to the educational and cultural spheres, and to issues of identity. We shall present a broad look at the economic value of language knowledge and focus on some research data comparing the situation in the public and private sectors, considering to what extent bilingual language skills are taken into account during the recruitment process and whether individuals who use both languages during their work are rewarded for this (bilingualism bonus program). Further insight into prevailing attitudes towards the value of multilingualism will be presented, specifically in relation to the ethnically mixed regions in Prekmurje.
B.03 Paper at an international scientific conference
COBISS.SI-ID: 13887053The questions follow the theoretical framework of the research and refer to different fields – degree of language competence in minority and majority language, use (where, when, how much) of minority language, attitudes and motivation for the use of minority language, attitudes towards bilingualism and bilingualism bonus. The questions follow the COD model (Capacity, Opportunity, Desire). They clarify which specific factors actually contribute to the efficiency of the bilingualism bonus. An employed public official selected the questionary language – Slovene, Italian, Hungarian.
F.02 Acquisition of new scientific knowledge
COBISS.SI-ID: 15572739The web questionary was sent to 1337 public officials, 579 answered it. The replies provide a basis for preparation of structured interviews with target groups (leading persons in municipalities, officials working in different public institutions, users) and discussions within focus groups, which will further highlight and supplement attitudes towards bilingualism and status of minority community. The questions do not only reflect the attitudes of public officials towards the »bilingualism bonus«, but also the attitude of wider public towards ethnic diversity.
F.02 Acquisition of new scientific knowledge
COBISS.SI-ID: 15570179