Social values of an added literacy: the case of Latgalian

Abstract

Reading and writing in Latgalian constitute an added literacy within a multilingual repertoire of skills and practices where Standard Latvian dominates. In this situation, the social and symbolic values of literacy and orthography are more important than their practical value in everyday life. This paper discusses the historical development and the current importance of the Latgalian written language from such a perspective. We draw on a case study on language attitudes conducted in 2019 as well as our observations of literacy practices and the public discourse around them during the past 20 years. For the case study, 47 semi-structured interviews were conducted with active members of the speech community. All respondents had a decidedly positive attitude towards the Latgalian written language and its use in public domains. Debates concern spelling standards and correctness, indicating the importance of visuality especially for lesser-used languages. Script ideologies form part of the community’s overall set of beliefs and constitute an important factor of varied Latgalian identities and lifestyles. The focus on standards may however have a negative effect on attitudes and practices. We claim that social aspects of writing, centring around identity, interlinguality, iconicity, and authority, must be considered in planning Latgalian literacy education.

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