Strategies of transborder communication: German-Polish perspectives and the Japanese situation

Abstract

This article presents the latest results of research on linguistic strategies for transborder communication at the German-Polish border. First, the significance of language for current border studies in general and for the German-Polish border in particular are discussed. Then, theoretically possible strategies and their real application at the border region are presented. According to the author, alternative strategies, such as the use of Polish as a vehicular language, receptive bilingualism or Esperanto, but also supplementary utilization of language exchange, Sorbian or even Latin, can uniquely contribute to improve German-Polish contacts. At the end, the paper surveys the linguistic situation at Japanese border regions and suggests that the Central European Experiences can be useful to tackle the transborder communication challenges in East Asia.