Abstract (eng)
This thesis investigates how language is used by multilingual actors in the Basque school Ikastola San Benito (Lakzao, Gipuzkoa Province, Basque Country). First, the theoretical concept of language regime (Busch 2013) used in the study is presented and expanded using a definition proposed by Spindler (Spindler 2013). Next, the results of a two-month field study are presented, focusing on four key issues: how the school is organised and structured with regards to language; how the various actors perceive the language situation; the conceptions and norms of language usage; and how language is used specifically in the space of the school. Then the results of the study are analysed based on the three dimensions of the language regime concept (spatial practices, representations of space and spaces of representation), and the following conclusion is drawn: an official and an informal language regime coexist at the Ikastola San Benito. The official language regime is characterized by language division and clear language policies and is maintained by official authorities both internally and externally. In contrast, the informal language regime makes flexible use of the full linguistic repertoire of the actors and is rarely articulated openly. Finally, based on these results, recommendations on developing the school’s language policy are formulated and the opportunities and limits of the theoretical concept identified in applying the concept in this research are discussed.