Review article
Which Croatian language variety should non-native speakers be taught? A higher and lower variety in teaching Croatian as foreign or second language
Sanda Lucija Udier
; Croaticum, Faculty of humanities and social sciences at the University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Milvia Gulešić Machata
; Croaticum, Faculty of humanities and social sciences at the University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
All foreign-language instructors of Croatian as foreign and second language would probably easily and with no hesitaton agree that non-native speakers should be taught a standard language variety. However, in spite of the fact standard language tends to be neutral and uniform, it is very stratified anyway, for example on a higher and a lower variety. If the instruction of Croatian as foreign and second language is directed at acquiring a communicational competence in a higher standard variety, it could easily happen that a student who mastered it is not competent enough to manage everyday, simple language situations with native speakers who speak a lower standard variety. The main question is does it make sense to teach a non-native speaker a higher standard variety considering the fact that most Croatian native speakers did not master it. Therefore, the main subject of this paper is the question of the kind of variety that should be taught in Croatian as foreign and second language classroom in order to overcome that gap and in order to teach non-native speakers a variety that is as suitable as possible for the communication with native speakers of Croatian language.
Keywords
standard language; higher variety; lower variety; teaching Croatian as foreign and second language
Hrčak ID:
174613
URI
Publication date:
1.12.2011.
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