Explicit and implicit dimensions of language policy in multilingual banks in Luxembourg

Abstract

For decades the primary focus of language policy research has been activities by states and their agencies, while policy activities in workplaces have attracted little attention. Addressing this gap, this paper investigates language management policies in financial institutions in the multilingual context of Luxembourg. Shohamy’s (2006) theoretical framework, largely based on the context of the state, is adopted and extended to financial institutions. Financial institutions operate in the globalised context of international banking and represent an interesting focal point for examining language policy in the globalising world. Explicit and implicit dimensions of policy are investigated by exploring the discrepancy between explicit language management policies on the working language of financial institutions and reported language use practices. Two international banks are discussed in this paper to provide insight into the complex nature of language policy and the importance of both top-down and bottom-up pressures on language practices.