Issues in institutional language policy: Lessons learned from peacekeeping in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Abstract

This article examines issues in institutional language policy, suggesting that it cannot be sufficiently understood by using concepts developed to analyse the policy of states. It presents the example of the British contingents contributing to the NATO peacekeeping operation in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the 1990s. And it suggests that this holds lessons for the more general understanding of institutional language policy. It argues that a problem-solving approach is required in order to understand the policies and practices of the institutions involved in relation to languages. The concepts of delegated decision-making, the critical role of agents, needs analysis, and problem-solving provide valuable tools both for understanding policy development and for informing policy intervention at the level of institutions. It suggests that this approach is helpful in understanding institutional language policies more generally, and may provide a basis for more effective advocacy in the development of institutional language cultures.