Social Interaction in Context of Multilingualism: From Theory to Practice
Social Interaction in Context of Multilingualism: From Theory to Practice

Summary/Abstract: During the last decade, research interest in multilingualism has increased immensely. As a result, the present paper explores certain aspects of growing understanding and commitment to the linguistic diversity, which are considered to be some of the factors that underlie a successful interaction in a multilingual society nowadays. The theoretical framework of the study is designed considering the latest contributions of sociolinguistic ethnography in the area of multilingualism, relating the notion of multilingualism to the notion of multicompetence. The current situation demonstrates that multilingualism having developed from sociolinguistically-bound research distinguishes its own social, institutional and individual dimensions. They are associated with the practices that are linked to the use of the language for instrumental purposes in order to communicate with confidence in a socially and culturally diverse society. Consequently, researching multilingualism moves away from the analysis of coexisting language systems to a more critical approach that situates appropriate language practices in relevant social and/or political contexts. The empirical part of the study investigates one example of pop-culture, i.e., the language originated, used and constantly updated by the Starbucks – world famous coffee manufacturing industry. The study concludes that the language users are expected to possess multilingual competence to interact appropriately in social settings nowadays.

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