Demarcating the space for multilingualism: On the workings of ethnic interests in a 'civic nation'

Abstract

This chapter shows how various social actors ranging from 'ordinary' citizens to professionals to political representatives in the Czech Republic restrict the use of immigrant languages, traditional minority languages as well as widely spoken ones, such as Russian, in public. Their behaviour shows how the visibility of different language communities is being (de)legitimized in the country's public space vis-a-vis its national identity.

Keywords

• public/private
• language choice
• language management
• national identity
• Czech Republic