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From socialism to neoliberalism

Shifting educational ideologies in Serbian as a foreign language textbooks in Yugoslavia and Serbia

ORCiD logo with link | University of Belgrade
Published online: 13 March 2026
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.26040.kuz
Abstract
This paper examines textbooks for teaching Serbian as a foreign language, revealing ideological shifts from their production in socialist Yugoslavia to post-socialist Serbia. Using Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis, it explores how these materials reflect a move from collective socialist identity to individualized, neoliberal subjectivity. The analysis situates linguistic and cultural changes within broader socio-political transformations, highlighting the role of language education in shaping national and ideological narratives.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction: The role of the textbooks in foreign language classroom
  • 2.Theoretical framework and methodology
    • 2.1Multimodal critical discourse analysis of foreign language textbooks
    • 2.2Serbian as a foreign language textbooks: A case study from the semi-periphery
  • 3.Analysis and discussion
    • 3.1The “banking” model of education from the socialist era
    • 3.2Serbia in transition: Same methodology, different content
    • 3.3The triumph of neoliberalism
    • 3.4Key patterns, dominant themes, and values in SFL textbooks: from socialist collectivism to neoliberal individualism
  • 4.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
References (40)
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