Language Management and Language Problems in Belarus: Education and Beyond

Abstract

This article provides an overview of the sociolinguistic situation in Belarus, the most russified of the post-Soviet countries. It summarizes language policy and legislation, and deals in more detail with language management and selected language problems in Belarusian education. It also contributes to the work on language planning by applying Jernudd's and Neustupný's Language Management Theory, particularly the concept of the language management cycle, to analysis of sociolinguistic issues in Belarus.

Keywords:

• Belarus
• bilingual education
• language management
• language problems

Acknowledgements

Our thanks for their help in the preparatory work on this article are due to the following colleagues and friends (in alphabetical order): Veranika Bial'kovich, Alena Iafimava, Vol'ha Kanavalava, Uladzimir Koshchanka, Siarhei Kruchkoŭ, Ales’ Lozka, Jirí Nekvapil, Aneta Pavlenko, Nadzia Staravoitava, Siarhei Zaprudski, and anonymous reviewers. This research was sponsored by the grant of the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, MSM 0021620825.

Notes

1. The Constitution, all legal codes and laws referred to in this article can be found online at URL www.pravo.by, and in print in the National Register of Legal Acts , published since 1999).

2. According to the Law on the Social Protection of the Handicapped (418-3/2000, Article 19) the sign language also has the status of the ‘state language’ with respect to interpersonal communication, instruction and translation services.

3. User AK47 in the discussion ‘Does Belarus need Belarusian?’ 02-09-2006, 11:41, at http://www.tut.by.