Määräyspatteristo vai krumeluuriteksti – kielipoliittiset dokumentit yliopistojen hallintohenkilöstön näkökulmasta
Rulebooks or empty words – perspectives of administrative staff on university language policies
Keywords:
language policy, universities, multilingualism, administrative staffAbstract
The paper focuses on language policies in two Nordic universities and the way in which administrative staff perceive the policies as instruments of language regulation. There has been much interest recently in multilingualism and language policy in the context of higher education, but there is little research so far focusing on administrative staff. This is despite their key role in both producing and mediating texts for the consumption of a multilingual university community. The study is based on interview and document data collected at the University of Helsinki (Finland) and the University of Stockholm (Sweden). The analysis focuses on how staff talk about the role of the policies in their work and work community, and particularly how they describe the impact of the policies on everyday language practices.
