The levels of language problem management

Abstract

Abstract The paper deals with the question of levels of language problem management on the basis of the Language Management Theory as well as other approaches to language problem management. The aim is to contribute to bringing the theoretical basis of language problem management closer to the problem management theories in general. Within language problem management three levels of management are distinguished: 1. interactional level of small‐scale management of inadequacies; 2. supra‐interactional level of small‐scale management of metaproblems and 3. supra‐interactional level of large‐scale management of metaproblems. Inadequacies are individual instances of problems rising in concrete interactions and metaproblems are types of problems which can be identified suprainteractionally, by abstracting the idiosyncratic features of inadequacies. With the help of these concepts the difference between the Language Management Theory and other theories of problem management can be made more visible: Language Management Theory builds on the small‐scale management of inadequacies on interactional level, while other theories are based on the large‐scale management of metaproblems on suprainteractional level.