Do you speak English or my language? An LMT approach to language requirements in EU nations’ visa applications

This study investigates the language ideologies manifested in the linguistic hierarchies produced by relevant EU governmental/political institutions through their language requirements for visa application documents. Based on the theoretical framework of Language Management Theory (LMT), this study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative analysis of visa statistics with qualitative content analysis of 200 social media narratives. At the macro-level, it analyzes the language ideologies underpinning the language requirements for national/long-term visa application documents. At the micro-level, it explores the intersecting point where language management behaviors from different levels converge through individuals' pre- and post-interaction management behaviors, as observed in social media posts related to document preparation and potential visa interviews. The results project a spectrum of approaches among EU countries: eight countries exhibit the tendency to civic linguistic nationalism by mandating their national/official languages as the sole language choice; while the remaining seventeen countries display varying degrees of linguistic pragmatism by accepting the required documents in English. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for language policy and ideology in the context of global mobility, suggesting that the current language requirements may not only project the language ideology but also carry broader socio-political consequences.