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Русский язык в неславянском окружении: модель языковой конкуренции в регионах тесного языкового контактирования
Language competition is mostly relevant in regions of close language contact. The study allows predicting the loss of the minority language by bilinguals and preventing the final transition to monolingualism, thus preserving the bilingual community. The article analyzes the existing models of language competition and assesses the predictors of its dynamics, taking into account the specificity of the linguistic situation of Turkic-Russian bilingualism in South Siberia. The predictors are sociodemographic, including institutional, sociocultural and some motivational factors. Modeling is based on the Turkic-Russian bilingualism database, which includes three groups of linguistic interaction: Tatar-Russian, Shor-Russian, and Khakass-Russian. The database contains a total of 25,145 observations from 235 bilinguals. The proposed modeling and its results have shown that language competition is provided by mutually directed processes. Thus, the most influential factors ensuring high proficiency of bilinguals in their native minority language and, therefore, leading to a balanced language situation in the conditions of language competition, are sociodemographic factors: experience of preschool residence (in the village or in the city) and place of residence at the present time. The age as well as a group of socio-cultural factors (the language of rites and songs) is insignificant. Motivation, on the contrary, leads to an unbalanced bilingual situation, reducing the functional role of the minority language. Bilinguals emphasize that their own intention to use Russian is higher than the intention to use their native language. Thus, the maintenance of a balanced bilingual situation largely depends on demographic factors and motivation of bilinguals.