Abstract:

Use of the official state language in the public sector and in the civil service  in particular became one of the main requirements in the Baltic states after gaining their independence. The present paper argues that the further development of language policy within the civil service domain is a rational response to the existing language challenges. This argument is supported by the comparative analysis within the Baltic states experience. In this article, we reflect upon the role of world language practices and assessments on the detailed requirements to the language proficiency level of civil servants and discuss standards’ design, implementation, and appropriation issues that will challenge the field over the next few decades.