Positive Attitude of Croatian Standard Language as a Condition for its Successful Mastering

U radu se pokazuje kako je jedan od važnih uvjeta uspješnoga ovladavanja standardnim jezikom pozitivan stav prema njemu, koji je povezan i s razumijevanjem uloge i važnosti standardnoga jezika kao komunikacijskoga sredstva šire jezične zajednice. Kako bi se utvrdilo postoji li povezanost između pozitivnoga stava prema standardnome jeziku, spremnosti na njegovo ovladavanje i njegova boljega ovladavanja, anketom s ponuđenim tvrdnjama i nekoliko zadataka utvrđen je stav ukupno 155 zagrebačkih studenata kroatistike, razredne nastave i predškolskoga odgoja prema standardnomu jeziku, uključujući i njihovo poznavanje gramatičke i pravopisne norme. Osim stavova cijele skupine prema pojedinim tvrdnjama i njihove uspješnosti u rješavanju pojedinih zadataka, uspoređivale su se i pojedine skupine. U zaključku se predlažu postupci koji bi mogli pridonijeti razvoju pozitivnoga stava prema standardnomu jeziku te tako općenito pridonijeti njegovu boljemu ovladavanju.The aim of this paper is to prove the hypothesis that one important condition for successful standard language mastering is an individual\u27s positive attitude to that standard language. This positive attitude includes the understanding of a standard\u27s role and importance as a communication means of a wider language community. Research was conducted among 155 students of the University of Zagreb in 2007. Three groups were included: 91 students of Croatian Language and Literature (the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences), 29 students of Teacher Education Studies and 45 students of Preschool Teachers Studies (both at the Faculty of Teacher Education). Research was based on a questionnaire with six groups of tasks. The students had to choose between three answers stating their agreement, disagreement or partial agreement to 25 statements. They had to define the Croatian standard language, to produce three sentences which respect to its norms and choose between yes and no answers for 42 sentences with respect to noticed errors (19 sentences were error-free, 23 had one or more errors). The purpose of the research was to identify the level of the mentioned attitude compared to the level of their mastering of normative grammar. Parts of the questionnaire were analyzed and the differences were observed with respect to different statements in the questionnaire, as well as among the three groups of students in various aspects. Students of Croatian Language and Literature gave the highest percentage of positive answers. In conclusion, methods were proposed which might contribute to a higher level of awareness of the standard language importance as well as the need for students to master it in order to contribute to its successful general mastering