About the Linguistic Constitution of Social Space: The Case of Estonia

Abstract

The article uses a theory of social space by Henri Lefebvre and is based on the assumption that analysing motivations for foreign language learning could help to understand the changes in social space. Using Estonia as an empirical example we are arguing that the country is moving from a transitional phase of social space to a posttransitional phase, i.e. the fast changes in language learning motivations and curricula, as well as the increasing number of personal or mediated contacts with different countries are replaced by a relative 'calming down' of social space, where the individual relationships with the geo-cultural world are developing. Using qualitative in-depth interviews as the empirical basis, the analysis found four different individual linguistic-spatial strategiesspatial production based on unchanging morphologies; spatial production based on historical and power connotations; spatial production based on connotations of consumerism and spatial production based on cultural meanings. In our opinion, the last strategy supports social change most positively. Taking into account the importance of the consumerist and spatial meanings of language, we believe that these aspects should be taken into account in developing language policies.