NATIVE-SPEAKERISM IDEOLOGY IN THE CONTEMPORARY PROFESSIONAL SPACE: ON THE PROBLEM OF INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF LANGUAGE COMPETENCE

Abstract

The article presents a theoretical analysis of native-speakerism ideology as a sociolinguistic construct of linguistic inequality in the contemporary professional space. It is demonstrated that, extending beyond the boundaries of language education discourse, this ideology acquires an institutional dimension and manifests itself in standardized practices of language competence assessment and evaluation. Based on data from the international OECD PIAAC study and national Austrian analytical reports, it has been found that limited proficiency in the language of the environment may be interpreted as a general deficit in functional literacy. It is argued that such approaches implicitly reproduce the normative construct of the “ideal speaker” as a reference point and contribute to the formation of hierarchical models of assessment and differentiation. Within the framework of Ukrainian research on language policy and sociolinguistics, it is shown that similar interpretative frameworks may significantly influence the evaluation of the professional competence of mobile specialists. It is demonstrated that institutional assessment practices may contribute to transforming linguistic difference into an indicator of educational or professional deficiency, which directly affects the opportunities for the professional realization and integration of mobile specialists.