Polylinguism as a Global Linguistic Capital

The article presents the evolution of language origin’ sociological reflection. The transformation of language phenomena interpretation in the context of objective, semiotic, structural and discourse theories is displayed. The correlation between discourse practices and post-industrial information society development is shown. Special attention is paid to language sociological interpretation of P. Bourdieu. The concepts introduced by him, namely: habitus, linguistic capital, linguistic field market, practical sense characterize language development, conditioned by educational, and social status communicators’ characteristics. Under globalization polilinguism phenomenon as policultural contemporary society characteristics, actualizing socio-cultural specifics of global society members acquires special significance. Constructionism and primordialism demonstrate different points of view on polilinguism phenomenon and are used in the context of comfort and benefits of their followers. Nevertheless, these approaches coincide in recognition of this concept significance to better peoples’ lives quality. Polilinguistic habitus of a contemporary individual acquires new dispositions, adequate to global context. Polilinguistic capital functions of polilinguistic market/fields providing the access to world-wide knowledge and possibilities of getting, percepting, and producing information. Polilinguistic discourse practices most fully correspond to cyberspace social reality as information polilinguistic market at the global scale. Uneven presentation of information content in various languages eliminate democratic essence of cyberspace and becomes the obstacle for users for getting the full access to information. It is especially important for minor languages speakers. The absence or lack of polilinguistic capital leads to polilinguistic injustice and information inequality, depriving people of social lifts possibilities and provoking social conflicts. The problem resolution is seen, particularly, in introducing the thee language education model and creating information content in wider variety of languages.

polylinguism, discourse turn, linguistic capital, linguistic market, habitus, linguistic injustice/inequality, constructionism, primordialism, cyberspace, social lift

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