Language policy in multinational societies and states should take into account the emerging language situation in a particular country and region. To study such situations and determine the direction of language policy, scientific approaches are needed. In societies characterized by the spread of polylingualism, mathematical methods can be applied to measure the level of multilingualism of the population. As one of the tools for describing the language situation and determining the level of polylingualism of the population, it is proposed that the concept of the language integration index (LII) be introduced into scientific circulation. The calculation of this index along with the parallel determination of the polylingualism coefficient (the share of the population speaking more than one language) and the allocation of the share of the population’s proficiency in major languages allows the measurement and recording of trends in the linguistic life of states using data from population censuses, sociological studies, and other sources. One of the factors affecting the level of polylingualism of a population is the degree of participation of states in cooperation, integration, and globalization processes. In the linguistic dimension, the named economic processes do not necessarily lead to the complete dominance of any one language. It is possible that there is an alternative to this scenario, which is expressed in an increase in the number of people who speak more than one language. The correctness of this assumption can give the processes of integration and globalization in the linguistic respect a completely different quality — linguistic variability. Based on the Soviet and Russian Population Censuses (1970, 1979, 1989, 2002, and 2010), Microcensus 2015, Eurostat data (2007, 2011, and 2016), and the results of Eurobarometer sociological research (2000, 2005, and 2012), we assess the impact of integration and globalization processes on the level of polylingualism of the populations of Russia, Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus.
The impact of integration processes on language learning and usage is traditionally evaluated in the literature through the prism of sociolinguistics or soft power. This article proposes a new conceptual approach based on measuring various aspects of competition between languages. The language integration and monopolisation indices and the multilingualism coefficient serve as measurement tools. The approach is tested on the situation in the Baltic region of the EU. The article uses data from Eurostat, Eurobarometer, and the Baltic statistical offices to analyse the performance of Baltic language markets by assessing the impact of EU integration on the use of languages in the region. The findings show a growing tendency towards multilingualism in countries participating in integration associations. Integration bodies, however, do not give one language precedence over others but encourage the interpenetration of the languages of their leading economies. The main factor behind the demand for a language is the strength of commodity and labour markets in the country where it is spoken. The article concludes that close economic and political integration stimulates heterochronous processes in supranational associations. The first one is increasing monopolisation in the language market of the association and the language markets of its sub-regions. The second process is a decrease in monopolisation in national language markets.
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