Implications
Though supported by the government, Montenegro's membership with NATO and interest in joining the EU has not been without contest. On February 21, 2018, a bomb was thrown onto the grounds of the U.S. Embassy in Montenegro by a Serbian man identified as a former Yugoslavian soldier. Officials believe the attack was in response to Montenegro joining NATO in June 2017. (Surk, 2018).
This attack on the U.S. Embassy can be viewed as a negative implication of the presence and use of English. Though the attack was not carried out due to language use, it was an attack on the presence of the government of an English speaking country.
This attack on the U.S. Embassy can be viewed as a negative implication of the presence and use of English. Though the attack was not carried out due to language use, it was an attack on the presence of the government of an English speaking country.
As demonstrated by such an attack, Montenegro has long been torn between Western and Eastern ideals and policies. Both the United States and British governments are interested in Montenegro aligning themselves with the West, rather than the East, so as to create an economic partnership and promote political allyship between the countries, as well. The spread and use of the English language is important to the U.S. and U.K. governments because it is the first step in ensuring that the country is aligning itself with Western policies. As demonstrated in the Education section of this project, the implementation of a language often predates the political involvement of an outside country. In this case, as the use of English increased in Montenegro, the U.S. and U.K. governments were able to more adeptly move the country along in the process of being voted in to official political organizations like NATO and the EU.
Montenegro provides an interesting case study in the ways that language use can often become politically charged. Though it may seem unrelated at first, historically, the spread and use of English has been used to promote the interests of native English speaking countries.
Montenegro provides an interesting case study in the ways that language use can often become politically charged. Though it may seem unrelated at first, historically, the spread and use of English has been used to promote the interests of native English speaking countries.