Ethnolinguistic situation in the regions of Southern Siberia

Abstract

The goal of this research consists in examination of ethnolinguistic situation in the regions of Southern Siberia. The author sets the following tasks: determine the key vectors of research within the framework of ethnolinguistic theme of the indicated regions in post-Soviet period; elucidate the main statistical factors of ethnolinguistic dynamics in the titular ethnic groups; reveal the main factors influencing ethnolinguistic situation; analyze language problems in the republics. The object of this research is the representatives of titular ethnic groups of Southern Siberia, while the subject is ethnolinguistic situation in the regions of Southern Siberia. The article discusses ethnolinguistic situation of the titular ethnic groups of Southern Siberia based on socio-legal, socio-demographic, and sociological factors. Special attention is given to socio-legal component. The following conclusions are formulated. 1. The dominant vectors of research on ethnolinguistic situation consist in examination of the problems of functionality of the Russian and Tuvan languages in the Tuva Republic, and languages of the titular ethnic groups – in Khakassia and Altai. 2. The main statistical indicators (number of native speakers, monolinguals, Russian speakers among titular ethnoses) testify to the ongoing language shift. 3. The crucial factors impacting ethnolinguistic situation are ethnolinguistic law and social environment. The language law of titular ethnic groups of Southern Siberia has the peculiarities of development with clear manifestation in Tuva Republic at the first and last stage of language law. Social environment in the Tuva Republic is characterized by a more beneficial territorial and information space, which defines the situation in the sphere of functionality of native language; then follow Altai and Khakassia. 4. The determined language problems consists in the absence of language environment (dispersed settlement of Altai, and Khakas population), specifics of bilingualism in the regions (Russian-Khakas, Tuvan-Russian; Russian-Altai, and Russian-Kazakh), imperfection of the complex of educational components (educational materials for not native speakers, proper teaching technique, ratio of the levels of teaching native language within the system of education by the categories principal subject and elective course).