The role and functional purpose the English language in the multilingual the Subregion of the world - Melanesia
The present research into the linguistic balance in the most multilingual subregion of Oceania - Melanesia - acquires special relevance nowadays, when some negative aspects of globalization become evident, namely - a loss of natural and linguistic diversity in various regions of the world, and particularly in the former colonies, which achieved independence in the course of the 20th century. The authors of this article put forward a goal to investigate the peculiarities of multilingualism in three island countries of Melanesia - Papua-New Guinea, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, in order to find out the ways of surmounting interlingual and intercultural communicative barriers in these multilingual countries, and to determine the functional designation there of the English language. In accordance with the set goal, the authors sought answers to a number of questions connected with interrelations of languages in the societies of the world with the highest linguistic diversity. The most important of these questions are the following: 1) What languages play the role of means of common linguistic communication? 2) Does the English language as the state language in these countries present a threat of a loss of linguistic and cultural heritage? 3) What role is played by the language policies conducted by the ruling circles on the level of state government in preserving linguistic balance in these countries? The present research has revealed a number of differences between the role and status of the English language in the countries of Melanesia as compared to the other countries with the British colonial past. As a rule, in the former colonies of Great Britain, following the acquisition of independence, the English language retained its status of the major language in the leading spheres of state governance activities, but assumed the role of lingua franca, that is the means of interlingual and intercultural communication. However, the English language in the status of the state language in the countries of Melanesia yields the role of lingua franca to the so-called pidgins and creole languages on the basis of English lexis. Thus, in Papua-New Guinea the creole language Tok Pisin has been recognized as the second official language alongside with English, and is used as lingua franca by the majority of the population in this country. A similar situation takes place in Vanuatu, where the role of lingua franca is performed by the creole language Bislama, which is recognized by the country's constitution as the state language alongside with English. On Solomon Islands, the role of the means of interlingual and intercultural communication is played by the Pidgin of Solomon Islands, which has not been recognized as the state language. In the multilingual societies of Melanesia, the linguistic balance is supported on the basis of widespread individual multilingualism and by means of dividing functions in the sphere of language use. In this case, the native language is used for expressing one's cultural and ethnic identity, the creole languages serve as a means of interlingual communication, and the English language is used in the spheres of state government, the system of courts of law and education. With the further spread of education, there takes place a continuous growth of the use of the English language as lingua franca, that is the means of interethnic communication.