Bilingualism of the Russian Germans (According to the Sociological Surveys)

DOI: 10.33876/2311-0546/2021-53-1/149-165

Abstract

Various factors impact on lingual processes of the Russian Germans. They are: heterogeneity of ethnic community, dispersed type of settlement for the most Germans and, at the same time, preserving the areas of dense settling in rural parts of the country. Other factors include: varying understanding of the “mother tongue” category and increasingly growing role of non-governmental organizations of the Russian Germans that pursue a goal-oriented policy dedicated to identity protection and maintenance of the German language. Affected by these factors the language of the Russian Germans experienced significant transformations. The Russian-German bilingualism, as a specific trait of lingual situation of the Germans living in Russia, obtained new forms. The German language gradually lost its practical functions and is increasingly turning into an ethnical symbol. The Russian language has become, on the other hand, a general tool of commonplace communication. The choice of language (German or Russian) for communication ended up depending on a particular situation, lingual environment, professional sphere and participation in non-governmental organizations’ activity. In order to trace the dynamics of lingual processes the method of sociological surveys was applied. The method provides an opportunity to study peoples living in lingual borderland more thoroughly. Surveys of the Germans are being held by The International union of German culture once in ten years. The article provides insight into the results of the last two large-scale surveys that were conducted in 2009 and 2020. Their common goal was to analyze the state and trends of ethnocultural development of the Russian Germans. The separate module of questions mentioned in the article was dedicated to the language of the Russian Germans. The authors focused on such factors as mother tongue recognition, level of proficiency in one or another language, the field and forms of languages’ usage and assessment of teaching German in educational institutions. Dynamic of ethno-lingual processes revealed in the article provides an insight into the lingual situation and an outlook to the development of Russian-German bilingualism of the Russian Germans.

For Citation: Smirnova, T.B. and E.A. Shlegel. 2021. Bilingualism of the Russian Germans (According to the Sociological Surveys). Herald of Anthropology  (Vestnik Antropologii) 1 (53): 149–165.

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