Formation of the language identity of the residents of Central and Southern Ukraine in the conditions of tricodalism (Ukrainian Language – Russian Language – Ukrainian-Russian mixed speech)

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the features of linguistic socialization and formation of the language identity of the residents of central and southern regions of Ukraine, which are normally considered as a territory of Ukrainian-Russian bilingualism and Ukrainian-Russian code-mixing, i.e., so-called Surzhyk. The relation between the dominant language of the respondents and the factors of formation of their speech competence is described in four contexts as follows: 1) a parent’s language and communication in a family; 2) a close environment language; 3) a school language; 4) a language of books, television, and the Internet. Being conducted on the basis of sociolinguistic data obtained from the 2014—2020 survey in the region and semi-structured in-depth interviews with mixed-language speakers, the research combines quantitative and qualitative research methods. In families, respondents mostly use their main language with their children. In Ukrainianspeaking families, there is a partial shift toward mixed speech (Central Ukraine) or Russian (Southern Ukraine). In Russian-speaking families, this shift is toward Ukrainian with respect to mixed speech. The influence of the school language on respondents’ speech shall be differentiated. While the school language is quite significant for the skills formed during school education, e.g., reading and writing, it much less determines the choice of the respondents in their everyday speech. The peer environment also defines the development of children’s/teenagers’ speech competencies. According to the respondents, Ukrainian prevails in peer groups. This is determined by a number of factors, e.g., the spread of Ukrainian-language education and preschool education, the increasing number of books in Ukrainian, television products and Internet content in Ukrainian, the increasing use of Ukrainian in culture, and public services. Keywords: language socialization, language identity, Ukrainian-Russian code-mixing