“It’s like knowing computer science”: legitimating language ideologies of Catalan and Estonian in the era of globalization

Abstract

This article examines the linguistic ideologies that enable value to be attached to Catalan and Estonian in the globalization era. Here, ethnographically collected data (in-depth interviews and focus group discussions) in Barcelona and Tallinn serve as a base for the analysis of the manner in which the perception of languages as marketable goods with instrumental rather than identity-based value is gaining ground among the L2 speakers of these medium-sized languages in the places described. In addition to the opinions of these speakers, the study examines the ideological constructs by means of which L1 Catalan and Estonian speakers attach value to their respective first languages. Finally, the article concludes with a number of reflections on the power of these two medium-sized languages to attract new speakers in the global era.

Key words: language ideologies, globalization, Catalan, Estonian, medium-sized languages.