Vigyázz! Kész! Beszél! A többségi és a kisebbségi nyelvek versengése az USA nyelvpolitikájában
Ready! Set! Speak! Competing Dominant and Heritage Languages in The Usa

Summary/Abstract: The paper examines issues of US language policy. Does the US have an official language? If not, why not? The study tries to find the answer by reviewing the specificities of the American Constitution. It illustrates the specific language situation in the US with historical examples. The author argues that the regulation of native languages differs significantly from that of ‘colonial’ and ‘immigrant’ languages. The former is expressly protected by federal law, while there is some kind of competition between the latters. Finally, the paper looks for parallels between the American language policy and European (especially Central European) language policies in terms of the protection of indigenous languages, the impact of the Spanish language’s special role, the recognition of the cultural and economic value of languages, and, finally, the role of non-governmental actors in language protection.

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