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Understanding spelling conflicts. A case study of new standard languages in the former Yugoslavia in the European context

Project description

Analysis of the new standard language in the former Yugoslavia helps avoid conflicts

Since the beginning of mass education, standard languages have gone through spelling reforms and changes, which have sometimes resulted in some type of conflict. South Slavs have a long history of conflicts related to writing, evident to this today. A better understanding of the relationship between spelling and identity can help mitigate discrimination and dissension. The EU-funded SPELLFLICT project will produce a descriptive model of orthographic controversies of four newly standardised South Slavic languages since the 1990s, taking into account other European languages with a recent history of spelling reforms/changes.

Objective

This project will produce a descriptive model of orthographic controversies of four newly standardized South Slavonic languages since the 1990s, which will take into account other European languages with recent history of spelling reforms/changes. It is the first interdisciplinary and multiple comparative study, integrating top-down and bottom-up analysis of language standardization. It will provide a model for future studies and so launch me as a world-leader in sociolinguistics and language policy & planning of spelling codification.

Since the beginning of mass education, standard languages have been undergoing spelling reforms/changes producing conflicts to a greater or lesser extent. The most recent were in Czech, Dutch, French, German and Portuguese in the 1990s. The conflicts related to writing among South Slavs have a long history that continues even today, causing discrimination and violence. In the last decade, 3 spelling reforms occurred (Montenegrin 2009, Croatian 2013, Bosnian 2018), creating (inter)national spelling conflicts, which gives an excellent comparative frame and timely opportunity for this study.

My experience as a practicing Croatian orthographer has given me first-hand insights in the complexity of language codification. To understand better the relation between spelling and identity and to mitigate future conflicts, this study takes a comprehensive comparative approach that combines analysis of: A. speakers’ attitudes, B. media coverage (a discourse, argument and metaphor analysis of the relevant articles), C. the methodology and process of orthographic codification and D. socio-political context (stakeholders, legislation and procedures in a context).

Coordinator

THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM
Net EU contribution
€ 224 933,76
Address
University park
NG7 2RD Nottingham
United Kingdom

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Region
East Midlands (England) Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Nottingham
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Other funding
€ 0,00