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When Slovenian Students No Longer Know Professional Terms in Their Mother Tongue
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ Slovenia /Culture & Society

When Slovenian Students No Longer Know Professional Terms in Their Mother Tongue

From Delo · (6m ago) Slovenian Critical tone

Translated from Slovenian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The article criticizes the declining use and understanding of Slovenian professional terminology among students and in public spaces.
  • Examples include the use of English in museum signage and the renaming of a company department to "Investments" instead of a Slovenian equivalent.
  • The author expresses concern over Slovenian university lecturers teaching in English to Slovenian students, leading to a potential loss of native language proficiency in specialized fields.

A troubling trend is emerging within Slovenia, one that threatens the very fabric of our linguistic identity: the erosion of Slovenian professional terminology and the increasing reliance on English, even within our own educational institutions. This isn't merely a matter of convenience; it's a symptom of a deeper issue concerning national pride and the preservation of our unique cultural heritage.

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โ€” Museum SignageIllustrating the prevalent use of English in public spaces.

The examples cited are stark and illustrative. At the City Museum of Ljubljana, signage for a coffee shop prominently features English, with only a token inclusion of Slovenian. Similarly, the Triglav insurance company's rebranding of a department to "Triglav Investments" instead of a Slovenian term like "Triglav Naloลพbe" demonstrates a baffling preference for foreign terminology. This linguistic compromise, especially when invoking a symbol as intrinsically Slovenian as Triglav, is perplexing and diminishes our national distinctiveness.

However, the most alarming concern is the shift towards English-language instruction in Slovenian universities. The idea that Slovenian lecturers must teach predominantly Slovenian students in English is not just counterintuitive; it risks creating a generation of graduates who are proficient in foreign terms but unfamiliar with their native language's specialized vocabulary. This linguistic disconnect can lead to a fragmented understanding of complex subjects and a weakening of our intellectual tradition.

I am appalled by the news that even Slovenian lecturers have to teach predominantly Slovenian students in English.

โ€” Article AuthorExpressing dismay over the shift to English in higher education.

While internationalization has its merits, it should not come at the expense of our mother tongue. We must find a balance that allows us to engage with the global community without sacrificing the richness and precision of the Slovenian language. Preserving our terminology is not about linguistic isolationism; it's about maintaining our intellectual sovereignty and ensuring that our national discourse remains vibrant and accessible in our own language.

Soon, there will be no Slovenian language in lectures. Even worse โ€“ students will not know the professional terms in their mother tongue.

โ€” Article AuthorWarning about the potential consequences of reduced Slovenian language use in academia.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Delo in Slovenian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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