“What language do we speak?” The Bayash in the Balkans and mother tongue education

Abstract

The author surveys the various Bayash communities in Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia and elsewhere, discussing how the initiatives to introduce their mother tongue in the educational system are preceded by a process of ideological clarification. The author examines language ideology in its specific correlation with language management and language standardization practices, shows how the Bayash communities view themselves culturally and historically and whether there is an opportunity for education in their native language in each community.