№ 6 - 2004
Gronskaya N.E.
Virtual Dimensions of Languages Policy: Conflict-Bearing Character of Linguistic Coexistence

The content of the article is analysis of particular features of languages’ coexistence in the Internet-space. The author notes that the languages policy in the Internet is greatly varied and that its specificity arises to a great extent from peculiar characteristics of languages’ virtual functioning. She stresses, furthermore, that the Internet as one of the most democratic communication channels, serves as one more disproof of the idea according to which the degree of democratianism is, allegedly, inversely proportional to the rigidity of the languages policy. Absence of express forms of languages regulation is yet no guarantee of favourable conditions for language functioning. In the meantime, according to the author’s conclusion, the a priori conflict-bearing character of languages’ existence in virtual dimensions is not conducive to the so-called linguicide, for it allows not only of non-global languages’ successful functioning, but also of their gradual revival. Notwithstanding the unquestionable domination of English, language pluralism of the world web is beyond doubt. And though the Internet as a field of languages’ interaction, easily turns into a field of conflicts between them, yet evolution of the virtual space to which languages’ coexistence is proper, is a natural process providing researchers with ample opportunities to observe and study really visual changes of the world languages situation.