J.V. Neustupný’s research while affiliated with Monash University (Australia) and other places

This monograph, based on the Language Management model, provides information on both the simple (discourse-based) and organised modes of attention to language problems in the Czech Republic. This includes but is not limited to the language policy of the State. This approach does not satisfy itself with discussing problems of language varieties but tries also to attend to issues pertaining to situations, functions, and other aspects of communication. While Part I deals with theoretical prerequisites of the study, Part II surveys ethnic communities which are resident in the territory of the Czech Republic, and Part III, the most extensive in the study, provides a description of the current state of the major varieties spoken in the country. It is suggested that a weak form of diglossia (Standard vs. Common Czech) is one of the major areas of problems within the Czech language. Among the other communities the Roma community presents most distinctly interactional as well as narrowly communicative problems. All non-Czech communities seem to be gradually assimilating to the matrix (Czech) community, particularly with regard to language. Part IV is devoted to the survey of language management in different situations. The authors particularly deal with changes that occurred after the Velvet Revolution of 1989 and resulted in intensive management in all domains of interaction. Part V presents individual observations on areas that have so far failed to attract systematic attention. Included are problems of the functions of communication, problems of communicative settings, problems of participants and networks, problems of the communicated content (such as politeness), problems of the message form and of channels of communication. This section also includes a discussion of problems affecting the use of electronic media. Finally, in Part VI attention moves to issues of theories of language management: the renowned Prague School Theory of Language Cultivation, the Communist Party theory of the 1950s to 1980s, and current theoretical stances. A Table of Contents is appended at the end of the monograph. © 2006 Richard B. Baldauf Jr, Robert B. Kaplan and the authors of individual chapters.

A considerable number of deviations from norms held by participants occur in intercultural contact situations. In the case of foreign (non-J) participants in Japan the number is currently increasing as more speakers join Japanese networks. The present paper examines the process through which deviations are evaluated. The paper accepts the importance of the principle of cultural relativism, but emphasis is placed on evaluation through ‘‘contact norms’’ (norms specific to contact situations), ‘‘shared norms’’ (norms of non-J participants shared by at least a part of the J population) and ‘‘universal norms’’, though the establishment of the last category is not easy.

This paper applies the management model of language to Romani in the Czech Republic, showing how intellectualisation processes in discourse lead to the solution of problems associated with the creation of functional dialects or Languages for Special Purposes (LSP). These problems include, but are not limited to, the building-up of terminologies. The authors suggest that, for Romani and other emerging languages, a dynamic framework is needed, where features of LSP are seen both as results of processes and as processes as such. An analysis of Romani discourse data enables them to identify two different approaches to simple management of LSP. As a conclusion, the authors assess the perspectives of Romani LSP and formulate several practical as well as theoretical recommendations.

This monograph, based on the Language Management model, provides information on both the simple (discourse-based) and organised modes of attention to language problems in the Czech Republic. This includes but is not limited to the language policy of the State. This approach does not satisfy itself with discussing problems of language varieties but tries also to attend to issues pertaining to situations, functions, and other aspects of communication. While Part I deals with theoretical prerequisites of the study, Part II surveys ethnic communities which are resident in the territory of the Czech Republic, and Part III, the most extensive in the study, provides a description of the current state of the major varieties spoken in the country. It is suggested that a weak form of diglossia (Standard vs. Common Czech) is one of the major areas of problems within the Czech language. Among the other communities the Roma community presents most distinctly interactional as well as narrowly communicative problems. All non-Czech communities seem to be gradually assimilating to the matrix (Czech) community, particularly with regard to language. Part IV is devoted to the survey of language management in different situations. The authors particularly deal with changes that occurred after the Velvet Revolution of 1989 and resulted in intensive management in all domains of interaction. Part V presents individual observations on areas that have so far failed to attract systematic attention. Included are problems of the functions of communication, problems of communicative settings, problems of participants and networks, problems of the communicated content (such as politeness), problems of the message form and of channels of communication. This section also includes a discussion of problems affecting the use of electronic media. Finally, in Part VI attention moves to issues of theories of language management: the renowned Prague School Theory of Language Cultivation, the Communist Party theory of the 1950s to 1980s, and current theoretical stances. A Table of Contents is appended at the end of the monograph.

Participants in inter cultural contact situations experience communication and interaction "problems." They also derive "gratification" as a result of positive evaluations. This paper presents a survey of ten Japanese students of the Czech language who stayed in Prague and at various other locations in the Czech Republic over the summer vacation. The method used in this paper was the "interaction interview" and concentrated on actual behavior of the students, as opposed to reports based on questionnaires or traditional interviews, on a single day of their stay. The study shows that "problems" as well as "gratifications" actually occur and offers a number of observations on the processes involved. The author's ultimate concern is with policies but the paper also attends to a number of more general theoretical and methodological issues.