• In or Out? Linguistic Realities at the Workplace

    Most of us have probably heard of multinational corporations like Microsoft, Amazon, Nike, L’Oréal, Apple, Facebook, Ikea and Toyota. They are all around us. Now you might wonder why I mention these companies on a site that is dedicated to languages. In an increasingly international market many companies are faced with the challenge of how to do business in multiple languages on a day-to-day basis. The implications of a multilingual workplace can be far-reaching. Social inclusion and exclusion through linguistic practices affect the work environment. As argued by Thomas (2009), language can act as a resource or a barrier (p. 311). 

  • Regional Minority Languages: German in Hungary

    A language blog would not be complete without talking about minority languages. They present a unique policy challenge to many European states and to the European Union. The extent to which they are represented and promoted in the educational system, the state bureaucracy and in cultural events, can vary from country to country. I am going focus on the role German plays in the Hungarian educational system. I choose this topic because of my personal relationship with it. After living several years in Germany (Stuttgart), I attended a German nationality school in Hungary. The school is located in a town where German is an actively used minority language. 

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