BB: Language and Script Choice Between Medium and Identity

How do language and script choices reflect identity across different communicative contexts? This lecture explores the use of Latin and Cyrillic scripts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a particular focus on the Republika Srpska. Drawing on five studies encompassing linguistic landscapes, institutional websites, online newspaper comments, Wikipedia usage, and a survey of script preferences, it examines how writing practices vary between public institutions and everyday communication. The findings reveal a striking contrast: while Cyrillic functions as a marker of regional and national identity in institutional settings, Latin dominates commercial, digital, and private communication, even among Serbian-speaking users. The lecture highlights how script choice and language choice do not necessarily coincide, but are shaped by the medium, communicative context, and symbolic meanings of writing systems.