Abstract Ensuring linguistic operability in supranational organizations has led to the de facto imposition of an English-only policy in otherwise lingua-culturally diverse environments. This paper uses a combination of a literature review of military-related language policy documents and semi-structured interviews to explore the impact of those policies on the use of English as the working language of a professional context, the Spanish military. Broadly, the findings show that the standardization of linguistic certification procedures, a requirement for their participation in international operations, places these professionals in a disadvantage scenario in which lack of linguistic proficiency translates into the questioning of their personal, professional and institutional validity. The analysis of Spanish soldiers’ perceptions and attitudes helped to shed light on the conflicting interaction of language policies, practices and beliefs. Although English is valued as the language of work and therefore as a vehicle for interaction with other armies, for socialization or for contact with the local population, it is nonetheless viewed as an imposition of the globalized world, accepted with pragmatic and instrumental criteria, which entails the requirement of language certification standards they struggle to meet.

中文翻译：

---

冲突中的语言实践和政策：国际军事交流的 ELF 视角

摘要 确保超国家组织中的语言可操作性导致在其他语言文化多样化的环境中实际上强加了英语政策。本文结合军事相关语言政策文件的文献综述和半结构化访谈来探讨这些政策对使用英语作为专业环境——西班牙军队的工作语言的影响。总的来说，调查结果表明，语言认证程序的标准化是他们参与国际业务的一项要求，使这些专业人员处于不利的境地，在这种情况下，语言能力的缺乏转化为对其个人、专业和机构有效性的质疑。对西班牙士兵的看法和态度的分析有助于阐明语言政策、实践和信仰之间相互冲突的相互作用。尽管英语被视为工作语言，因此被视为与其他军队互动​​、社会化或与当地居民接触的工具，但它仍被视为全球化世界的强加，以务实和工具性的标准被接受，需要他们难以满足的语言认证标准要求。