SPEECH DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES FOR UKRAINIAN CHILDREN IN FORCED MIGRATION: THE ROLE OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOCIAL CONTEXTS

Abstract

This article explores the speech development challenges encountered by Ukrainian children in forced migration, with a focus on the influential roles of primary and secondary social contexts. The study delves into how these contexts shape early multilingualism, emphasizing the complex dynamics within the family and educational settings. In the primary society, we investigate family language policies, examining how language education strategies are implemented within families. In many cases, bilingualism arises by default due to the presence of both Ukrainian and Russian in the linguistic repertoire of parents and close relatives. This often leads to natural code-switching and a bilingual development pattern among children. Through survey data, we analyze the first language and home language usage of Ukrainian children, providing a detailed understanding of their initial linguistic environment. The study highlights how family-driven language policies contribute to the maintenance and development of both Ukrainian and Russian languages, despite the challenges posed by displacement. In addition to the primary societal influences, the article scrutinizes the impact of the Polish-speaking educational environment, representing the secondary society. The integration of Ukrainian children into Polish pre-schools introduces a new linguistic dimension, fostering the development of active trilingualism. We examine how exposure to Polish, alongside Ukrainian and Russian, influences the children’s speech development and cultural adaptation. The findings underscore the intricate relationship between home and educational environments in shaping the linguistic trajectories of Ukrainian children in forced migration. By navigating through familial bilingualism and the demands of the Polish educational system, these children develop unique multilingual capabilities.