Slovenia

Basic statistics

In the Republic of Slovenia the latest population census by language affiliation was conducted in 2002. According to this, the main languages spoken (in terms of number of users) are Slovenian (87.8%), Croatian (2.8%), Serbo-Croatian (1.9%), Bosnian (1.6%), Serbian (1.6%), Albanian (0.4%), Hungarian (0.4%), Italian (0.2%), Macedonian (0.2%), Roma (0.2%) and German (0.1%). (Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2002.) In 2011 the Republic of Slovenia began to operate a register-based population census. Collecting data on ethnicity and first language is no longer mandatory in these surveys.

Legal framework

The Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia states that the official language of Slovenia is Slovenian. In those municipalities where Italian or Hungarian national communities reside, Italian or Hungarian are also official languages (Article 11). The Roma linguistic community also has a special status (Article 65). Everyone has the right to use his language and script in a manner provided by law in the exercise of his rights and duties and in procedures before state and other bodies performing a public function (Article 62).

The use of languages is regulated by the Act on the Public Usage of the Slovenian Language (adopted in 2004 and revised in 2010), and by a series of laws covering specific areas (for example, the laws on consumer protection, higher education and state administration).

The Act on the Public Usage of the Slovenian Language in Article 1 states: “The Slovenian language is the official language of the Republic of Slovenia. It is the language of oral and written communication in all spheres of public life in the Republic of Slovenia, except when Italian and Hungarian are official languages in accordance with the Constitution of Slovenia, and when the provisions of international treaties that are binding for the Republic of Slovenia specifically allow also the usage of other languages.”

Administration

According to the Public Administration Act Slovenian is the official language of Administration. In those municipalities where Italian or Hungarian national communities reside, the official languages are also Italian or Hungarian. In these areas, the Administration conducts business and proceedings and issues legal and other acts in the language of the national community, when clients are members of the Italian or Hungarian national community and use the Italian or Hungarian language.

The National Assembly conducts its proceedings in Slovenian. The deputies of the Italian and Hungarian national communities have the right to speak and table motions, initiatives, questions, and other submissions in Italian or Hungarian. Their speeches and submissions are translated into Slovenian. (The National Assembly of Slovenia Rules of Procedure)

Courts operate in the Slovenian language. In the territories in which the Italian and Hungarian national communities live, courts also operate in the Italian or Hungarian language, when a party who lives in that territory uses the Italian or Hungarian language. (Courts Act)

Managers of concessionary networks and networks funded by the State may not allow Internet pages to be published or made available to Slovenian users only in a foreign language. 

Teaching

In Slovenia, all education and teaching provided as part of the current state curriculum, from pre-school through to university level, must be in Slovenian. In the official bilingual areas, populated by Italians or Hungarians, bilingual education must be provided.

Primary education

The language of instruction in elementary schools is Slovenian. The language of instruction in elementary schools providing instruction in the languages of national communities is Italian and in bilingual elementary schools Slovenian and Hungarian. In elementary schools in areas populated by Slovenians and members of the Italian minority and defined as ethnically mixed areas, pupils in schools providing instruction in Slovenian also learn Italian, and pupils in schools providing instruction in Italian also learn Slovenian. (Elementary School Act) There is also one international primary school (Danile Kumar International School) founded in 1993 to provide international education to foreign children. The language of instruction is English. Apart from this school, some other international schools are operating in Slovenia. The language of instruction in these schools is not Slovenian.

Secondary education

The language of instruction in gimnazija (grammar school) is Slovenian. The language of instruction in gimnazija providing instruction in the languages of national communities is Italian and in bilingual gimnazija Slovenian and Hungarian. In gimnazija in areas populated by Slovenians and members of the Italian national community and defined as ethnically mixed areas, students in gimnazija providing instruction in Slovenian also learn Italian, and students in gimnazija providing instruction in Italian also learn Slovenian.  (Gimnazija Act)

The language of instruction in vocational and/or technical upper secondary education is Slovenian. The language of instruction in vocational and technical upper secondary schools providing instruction in the languages of national communities is Italian and in bilingual vocational and technical upper secondary schools Slovenian and Hungarian. In vocational and technical upper secondary schools in areas populated by Slovenians and members of the Italian national community and defined as ethnically mixed areas apprentices and students in vocational and technical upper secondary schools providing instruction in Slovenian also learn Italian, and apprentices and students in vocational and technical upper secondary schools providing instruction in Italian also learn Slovenian. (Vocational Education Act)

Notwithstanding the first paragraph of Article 8 of the Gimnazija Act and in agreement with the minister responsible for education, a part of the education programme that features an acknowledged foreign expert or visiting teacher is carried out in a foreign language, which also applies to international exchanges. If a visiting teacher carries out educational work independently, this must not encompass more than a third of the planned hours of the subject. In this event, the school must also ensure that students have a command of Slovenian technical terms, while Slovenian as a language of instruction must be used in the assessment process. The programme of preparation for the international matura may be carried out in a foreign language. A school for foreigners may carry out the educational programme of the gimnazija in a foreign language. A school must offer the option of choosing the Slovenian language as a subject.

According to Article 6 (The language of instruction) of the Vocational Education Act, in agreement with the minister responsible for education, a part of the education programme that features an acknowledged foreign expert is carried out in a foreign language, which also applies to international exchanges. As a rule, a foreign expert participates in theoretical lessons as a second teacher; in the event that he carries out the educational work independently, this must not encompass more than a third of the planned hours of the subject or module. In this event the school must also ensure that students have a command of Slovenian technical terms, while Slovenian as a language of instruction must be used in the assessment process.

University level

The language of instruction is Slovenian. Higher education institutions are responsible for the development of the Slovenian language as a professional or scientific language. Foreigners and Slovenians without Slovenian citizenship must be provided with the option of learning the Slovenian language.

Higher education institutions may also carry out study programmes or parts of them in a foreign language, under the conditions, laid down by the Higher Education Act. If a higher education institution is a public service, foreign language courses may be carried out in a foreign language, as may parts of study programmes, if the guest professors are from abroad or a large number of foreign students are enrolled, and also full study programmes, if these programmes are also implemented in the Slovenian language.

Consumers

Private companies and those carrying out registered commercial activities must use Slovenian to communicate with clients within Slovenia. In the areas of autochthonous settlement of the Italian and Hungarian national communities, they must also communicate in the language of the respective national community.  Where the commercial activity is directed towards a foreign national, a foreign language may be used alongside Slovenian.

As far as product labelling is concerned, private companies and those carrying out registered activities must communicate all information about the specifications, conditions of sale, use and purpose of the product to the consumer in Slovenian. Symbols and images which will be understood by a large proportion of the public may also be used. These provisions do not refer to foreign brand-, manufacturer- and service-provider names. Food products, medicines and phytopharmaceutical products being sold in Slovenia must have printed on the packaging a declaration and guidelines for use as well as any other necessary information in Slovenian, alongside a foreign language where necessary. The text must be clear, legible, able to be understood by the user and written according to Slovenian writing regulations.

Advertising

It is compulsory to use Slovenian in commercial posters or displays for projects or services, presentations of activities or any other form designed to inform the public in Slovenia. In the areas of autochthonous settlement of the Italian and Hungarian national communities, advertisements may also be in the language of the respective national community.  If the target audience is specifically foreign nationals, a foreign language may be used, but linguistic variations in the foreign language may not be any more marked than the Slovenian. Internet presentations and advertisements by private individuals must be in Slovenian, or, where appropriate, in Slovenian plus a foreign language.

Work

This area is covered by the Act on the Public Usage of the Slovenian Language and the Companies Act. They define: the use of language; dealing with clients; texts on merchandise; acts and internal operations of legal and natural persons; the designation of legal persons governed by private law; the names of establishments, premises and other business spaces; the disclosure of information and communications of the company; and the language of the corporate name.

All legal persons governed by private law and natural persons engaged in business activities must deal with clients in Slovenian in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia. If their business activities are aimed also at foreign nationals, a foreign language may be used in addition to Slovenian. The management must ensure that communications with employees within a company in connection with the issuing of work instructions to employees, the conduct of procedures in which the rights of employees are decided and the participation of employees in the management of the company are conducted in Slovenian; in areas inhabited by the Italian and Hungarian national communities, communications may also be conducted in Italian or Hungarian. All the acts of the company must be written and published in Slovenian; in addition they may be also given in foreign languages. In areas inhabited by the Italian and Hungarian national communities, Italian or Hungarian may also be used.

Media

Slovenian is the language used in the media registered in the Republic of Slovenia. The Mass Media Act and the Act on the Public Usage of the Slovenian Language define the protection of the Slovenian language. Radio and television programmes, or their parts, transmitted in a foreign language that are used by broadcasters established or registered in the Republic of Slovenia, must be translated into Slovenian. If messages in a foreign language are communicated in the media in Slovenia, they must not be presented in a more prominent manner than messages in Slovenian. The name of the medium and its programmes or columns must be in the Slovenian language with the exception of those media or its columns or programmes which are the Slovenian-licensed versions of a foreign medium or columns or programmes with trademarks or service marks of such mediums. Publishers established and registered in the Republic of Slovenia must disseminate programmes in Slovenian or must translate programmes into Slovenian in an appropriate manner, unless such are primarily intended for readers, listeners or viewers from another language group. Publishers may disseminate programmes intended for language education in a foreign language. If a programme is intended for the Hungarian or Italian national communities, broadcasters may disseminate the programme in the language of the national community. 

Institutional body with responsibility for developing, implementing and controlling linguistic legislation

The creation and formalisation of linguistic legislation is overseen by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia by means of its departments and the inspection services of certain ministries. The Act on the Public Usage of the Slovenian Language specifies how the language should be controlled and provides for penal sanctions where the provisions are not obeyed.

The political and linguistic coordinator of such policy is the Slovenian Ministry of Culture.

Legal provisions concerning the linguistic integration of migrants and public training facilities available to them

The Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia specifies that everyone has the right to freely express affiliation with his nation or national community, to foster and give expression to his culture, and to use his language and script. Everybody has the right, within the procedural framework, to use their language and writing in a legitimate manner before any State body or other organisation performing a public service.

In conformity with the Asylum Act, the Republic of Slovenia ensures that immigrants are able to integrate into cultural, economic and social life by offering them Slovenian language lessons and information on the Slovenian Constitution and also on Slovenian history and culture.

According to the Aliens Act, aliens who are third-country nationals are entitled to the free Slovenian language courses and courses on Slovenian history, culture and constitutional order, programmes promoting social exchanges and communication with Slovenian citizens, information on the integration of aliens into Slovenian society.

The Decree on the ways and scope of providing programmes of support for the integration of third-country nationals also defines the implementation of the Slovenian language-learning programme and the programme on Slovenian history, culture and constitutional order. Slovenian language learning programmes (180, 120 or 60 hours), programmes for gaining familiarity with Slovenian history and culture and with the Slovenian constitutional system, as well as the first free-of-charge basic level Slovenian language examination are financed by the Ministry of the Interior with the help of the European Fund for the Integration of third-country nationals.

Principal legal provisions in force concerning the use of regional or minority languages

Specific linguistic rights are guaranteed for two national communities, Italian and Hungarian, by Articles 11 and 64 of the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia, as well as by other laws referring to specific areas. To permit them to maintain their identities, national communities are allowed to create their own organisations and develop their own economic, cultural and scientific activities as well as activities in the fields of public information and publishing. The law also states that minorities have the right to education, training, creative expression and development in Italian or Hungarian. The areas in which bilingual administrations and schools are permitted are laid down by law. The State supports the application of these rights both financially and morally. In minority regions, minority nationals establish their own self-regulating communities which serve to ensure that their rights are met. The State can grant proxy rights to national self-regulating communities enabling them to manage certain State competencies themselves and provides financial support to enable them to do so. National communities are directly represented in local authority bodies and in the National Assembly. The rights of minorities are guaranteed whatever the numerical size of their communities. Laws, regulations and other general acts that concern the exercise of the constitutionally provided rights and the position of the national communities exclusively, may not be adopted without the consent of representatives of these national communities. Roma have the same rights as other national communities under the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia and are protected by the Roma Community Act(2007) and some other sectoral laws.

In 2000 the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ​​(ECRML; Law on Ratification of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages). In 2002 the Government of the Republic of Slovenia accepted the initial Report of the Republic of Slovenia on the implementation of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In the previous Fourth, as well as in the latest, Fifth periodical report presented to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe in accordance with Article 15 of the Charter (December 2018) states that in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia the regional or minority languages ​​in the meaning of the Charter are Italian and Hungarian, and that the provisions of the first to fourth paragraph of Article 7 would also apply mutatis mutandis with regard to the Roma language.

In February 2011 the National Assembly confirmed the Declaration of the Republic of Slovenia on the Status of National Communities of Members of Nations of the former Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) in the Republic of Slovenia by a two-thirds majority, which for those communities specifically highlights “the right to their own ethnic self-naming and self-organisation on the ethnic basis” – they may preserve and develop their culture, language and script, preserve their history, strive for an organised presence in the public and, in cooperation with members of the majority population and other national communities, contribute to the multiculturalism of the Republic of Slovenia.

In May 2017 the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the National Programme of Measures for the Roma for the 2017-21 Period, whose key priorities include raising the education level of the Roma population, reducing unemployment, improving healthcare and living conditions, fighting against discrimination and prejudices of individuals, preserving the Roma culture, language and identity and stimulating informative and publishing activities of the Roma Community.

Financial support mechanisms aimed at encouraging the use of national and regional or minority languages

The State budget provides for supporting the learning, use and development of Slovenian and other languages (particularly Italian and Hungarian). This includes funds allocated to the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport and the Office for National Minorities. The State organises and partially funds lessons in Slovenian for the children of Slovenian immigrants, refugees and Slovenian nationals requesting this etc.

Programmes for ERASMUS foreign exchange students are financed by European funds from European institutions (European Commission). 

Teaching foreign languages within the education system

According to Special Eurobarometer 243 “Europeans and their Languages” (February 2006; figures are based on self-evaluation by respondents) the main foreign languages spoken are Croatian (59%), English (57%) and German (50%).

As the first foreign language, English (prevailing) and German may be chosen, while all other languages may be applied as a second foreign language within the framework of compulsory or non-compulsory optional selection contents from 4th to 9th grade.

From the school year 2016-17 all children in Slovenia started to learn the first foreign language as a compulsory subject in the 2nd grade of elementary school (at age 7), with two lessons per week.

In general upper secondary education in Slovenia learning two languages is compulsory; just over 10% of pupils study three or more foreign languages. In initial vocational education programmes (in Slovenia this includes short and secondary vocational education), 30% of pupils were studying two foreign languages.

Projects planned by the authorities in the field of linguistic policy

In July 2013 the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Resolution on the National Programme for Language Policy 2014-18. The program had four key sections: language education, language infrastructure, formal legal aspects of the Slovenian language policy and Slovenian as an official language of the European Union.

In November 2015 the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Action Plan for Language Education and the Action Plan for Language Infrastructure, two complementary, independent and comprehensive national language policy documents, which concretised the objectives and measures to be resolved and defined the time for the realisation.

In the reports on the implementation of the resolution and both action plans for the years 2015 and 2016, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia identified a lag in the development of language resources and technologies (LRT), therefore it established the Council for Monitoring the Development of Language Resources and Technologies (in March 2017). The main council’s tasks were: directing further developments in LRT, supporting comprehensive solutions in the digitisation of Slovenian, setting guidelines on LRT in state administration, setting guidelines on open access to LRT, establishing an online repository for LRT for further use, making proposals and initiatives to the Government of the Republic of Slovenia regarding the further planning of language resources and technologies development. The council ceased to function in June 2019 (particularly in its first year of operation) worked effectively, it is worth reflecting on re-establishing a similar national working body.

In June 2021 the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Resolution on the National Programme for Language Policy 2021-25. The establishment of a five-year cycle of resolutions, an annual review of the fulfilment of tasks and a one-off study on the adequacy of the current language policy provides professionals and politicians with a sound basis for well thought-out and systematic guidance of the linguistic situation in Slovenian society. The most general objective pursued by the Slovenian language policy in the 2021–2025 period on this basis is to ensure a high-quality linguistic life for all, which is also in line with the Slovenian Development Strategy 2030.

The main key sections of the programme are: general linguistic landscape in the Republic of Slovenia, language education, language infrastructure, legislative and other legally valid documents of the Slovenian language policy and Slovenian as an official language of the European Union.

The main objectives of the Slovenian language policy in the new programme are:

• to create a community of sovereign speakers with advanced linguistic competence in Slovenian, sufficient knowledge of other languages, ​​with a high level of linguistic self-confidence and an appropriate level of willingness to accept linguistic and cultural diversity,

• to influence the priority use of Slovenian in all segments of life and work, with the goal of creating an appropriate linguistic landscape,

• to develop the language infrastructure, to provide speakers with the basic language reference sources, tools and services,

• to formally frame Slovenian language policy and to adjust the legal framework in accordance with social challenges,

• to strengthen the care and responsibility for Slovenians outside the borders of the Republic of Slovenia, taking into account all the speakers who are speakers of Slovenian as a second or foreign language: members of the Italian and Hungarian national minorities, the Roma community, immigrants and all others who come or want to come in contact with the Slovenian language inside or outside the Republic of Slovenia,

• to pay special attention to the challenges due to the fact that Slovenian is an official language of the European Union, to promote the status of the Slovenian language in the European Union.

In July 2015 the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Programme of Measures of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for the Implementation of Regulations on Bilingualism for the 2015–18 Period. 

In August 2021 the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Programme of Measures of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for the Implementation of Regulations in the Field of Exercising the Rights of the Italian and Hungarian National Communities in the Republic of Slovenia for the 2021–25 Period.

(November 2021)