Academic literature on the topic 'Ukrainian language'

The paper concerns the discussion around the place and role of the Ukrainian language in the life of Ukrainians after the full-scale invasion in 2022. The research is based on the participant observation method. The case study of debates on social media, and interviews with non-public representatives of the society outline a piece of the reality related to the language issue. The comments to the posts on topical subjects, diverse situations concerned with the implementation of language rights and performance of language duties demonstrate that the key attention in discussing the further development of Ukraine is paid to the importance of the Ukrainian language and moving on it by Russian-speaking Ukrainians. The debates also deal with the relevance of Ukrainization, feasible ways of its implementation, and problems the people face аt their language shifting. The output of the recent poll at the Institute of Sociology of Kyiv organized by the Ukrainian political experts in December 2022 is analyzed. It is defined that according to the poll for Ukrainian/Russian proportion in the life of Ukrainians, a positive trend toward speaking Ukrainian or increasing the Ukrainian share in the informational space of the respondents is detected. The results of the research witnesses the substantial impact of the Russian-Ukrainian full-scale war on the language behaviour of Ukrainians – social media users. The prospects envisage an in-depth study of the language-behavioral reactions of Ukrainian society and further following the changes in its language consciousness.

The article analyzes features of ethno-linguistic identity characteristic for representatives of the main Ukrainian language groups: Ukrainian-speaking Ukrainians, Russian-speaking Ukrainians and Russian-speaking Russians. The main concepts of the ethno-linguistic identity theory and ethnic group vitality are examined; individual and collective strategies maintaining positive identity through language are described; the factors influencing language expressiveness in the structure of ethnic identity are presented. The article shows that Russian-speaking Ukrainians are more competent in both languages​(Ukrainian and Russian); Ukrainian-speaking Ukrainians are highly proficient in their ethnic language and have predominantly an average level of Russian language proficiency; Russian-speaking Russians are characterized by good understanding and knowledge of their ethnic language only, at the same time they are low proficient in Ukrainian. As for Ukrainian-speaking Ukrainians and Russian-speaking Russians, their ethnic language competence coincides with their linguistic behaviour and attitudes. Russian-speaking Ukrainians do not show such coincidence; they are characterized by a discrepancy between the prevailing positive attitude to their ethnic language and their real linguistic behaviour. The data shows that the respondents do not choose mainly a language as a main ethnic-determining characteristic, however, in the system together with other distinctive features, it still occupies uppers rank positions for Ukrainian-speaking and Russian-speaking Ukrainians; family ties and psychological choices are more important for ethnic identification of Russian-speaking Russians. The vast majority of the respondents do not focus on their own ethnic status, paying more attention to personal, family and professional social characteristics. Ukrainian-speaking Ukrainians have the most steadfast ethnic identity, and marginal ethnic identity is predominantly observed among Russian-speaking Ukrainians. The relation between language and ethnic identity is described: correspondence between mother and ethnic language determines the respondents’ positive ethnic identity, and vice-versa, their mismatch leads to appearance of ethno-nihilistic tendencies.

The trends of development of native language education of Ukrainians living in Ukraine,the USA and Canada have been analyzed. They are stipulated by globalization as well asintegration processes on a global scale in the end of the 20th and at the beginning of the 21stcenturies. Their dependence on state language and language education policies in Ukraine havebeen grounded together with national consciousness of the Ukrainians whereas the westerndiaspora dependence on external (language policy in the country of residence, assimilation,assistance from Ukrainian part) and internal factors (national consciousness of Ukrainians in thediaspora, their integration into different society, functioning of native language education, publicorganizations) have also been reasoned.The functioning of institutions in the USA and Canada have been studied (parents/family –kindergartens – Ukrainian Studies Schools and Courses at Universities). Where the subjects inUkrainian Language and Systems of State Educational Institutions for young generations of theAmerican and Canadian Ukrainians are being taught.The following key trends of native language education have been distinguished: bilingualism(Russian-Ukrainian languages in Ukraine which, in general, has a negative impact on the status ofnational language. English-Ukrainian languages in the USA and Canada which is an essential partof the integration of national minorities representatives into the societies of these countries);reduction of Ukrainian language speakers in the USA and Canada as well as in Ukraine; stateassistance in language teaching for ethnic communities/minorities in Ukraine and separateCanadian provinces; seeking for efficient means and methods of teaching native language inpolytechnic / multilingual environments such as mountainous regions of the USA, Canada andUkraine.The conclusion is that despite of assimilation and migration processes in the diaspora andUkraine, the need of Ukrainian language learning is growing. This is particularly connected withthe fourth emigration wave of Ukrainians who are willing to study their own language and obtainappropriate education.

Background. Much research has been devoted to the problem of language situation in Ukraine. But in this study it has been analyzed on the basis of the newest sociolinguistic survey in 2022. The article “Language and national identity bilingual (on the basis of the 2022 survey)” deals with the problem of Ukrainians’ attitude to the Ukrainian and Russian languages and their identity. Purpose. The purpose of this paper is to identify the attitude of Ukrainians to the language problems after the war and analyze their thoughts on the Ukrainian and Russian identity and usage Languages within bilingual population. Methods. The research was conducted by analyzing the results of surveys that were distributed among 2005 respondents across the whole country, except for the territories that are out of control of Ukrainian government. Results. Political processes shape the relevant discourses, which, in turn, has an impact on linguistic and national identification. People increasingly call themselves Ukrainians precisely because they live in Ukraine, regardless of their origin, and transfer this civic identity to the category of nationality, which has traditionally been ethnic. The bloody war, which was started by the aggressor-country in Ukraine, influenced the choice of language and national identity of Ukrainians. The results of the survey have shown that bilingualism exist in Ukraine. However, the main problem is that most people do not understand the nature of not only language conflicts but also the political ones. The paper considers the fact that now people do not resist the legislative consolidation of various provisions regarding the Ukrainian language. So the task of Ukrainian language policy is to increase the amount of the Ukrainian language. We can conclude that the Ukrainian language will become the main one in all spheres of communication in the future if society and government understand the essence of language problems and try to force out the Russian language of formal and informal communication. Ukrainians associate the Russian language with the language of the attackers and consider it “toxic”, consciously choosing Ukrainian as their language of communication. As a result, Ukrainian will replace it as it must be the state language. Extralinguistic factors led to changes in the language situation in the country, where the overwhelming majority already understands the need to speak Ukrainian. Axiological and emotional components in the definition of national identity have led to a decline in the status of the Russian language and its low level of influence on the national identification of bilingual citizens of Ukraine.

This article examines the position of the Ukrainian language in educational institutions of the USSR during the 60s and 70s of the twentieth century. It is shown that the Soviet government actively implemented the policy of Russification, the aim of which was the complete destruction of the national-educational space of Ukrainians. Numerous decisions and resolutions of the country’s top party leadership have laid a solid foundation for the introduction of Russian as the language of interethnic communication. In the field of education, the ideologues of communism tried to shift the emphasis from the national characteristics of Ukrainians to the “common” for all – the Soviet ones. Oppression of the native language has caused alarm among the Ukrainian public. Realizing that the Ukrainian language is the basis for the preservation and development of the Ukrainian nation, the Ukrainian intelligentsia led the movement to protect it. Disagreeing with Russification, Ukrainians used all possible forms of protest against it at the time. It came to the formation of open opposition to Khrushchev’s educational reform. Many letters were received by various levels of government, newspapers, and magazines from various publishers, whose authors were concerned about the unequal position of the Russian and Ukrainian languages and expressed their indignation at the functioning of a large number of Russian-language educational institutions. Ukrainians were encouraged to spread the Ukrainian language and take care of its further development, thus seeking to preserve their own national identity. And the Ukrainian language continued to live and develop in the thick of the masses.

he article is devoted to one of the little-known periods of the language situation in which autochthonous Ukrainians from the far western ethnic Ukrainian lands lived. The relevance of the topic is stipulated by the need to develop a theory of historical sociolinguistics on language, power and identity. The revealed relations of language practices (microhistorical standard of living of an individual) to the geopolitics (as macrohistory) allow us to state that the linguistic dimension of the communicative everyday life of the Ukrainian speech community appears through a set of features realized before and during the war of 1914. Before the war, the colloquial form of the Ukrainian language as a means of interpersonal communication had a dialectal nature, which was layered with Polonization and Russification influences, and oral and written forms of the Russian language were a means of official communication. During the war of 1914–1918, there were changes in the language use of Ukrainians: the Russian language in the territories of Kholmshchyna and Pidlaschia curtailed its functions after the withdrawal of the tsarist troops together with the forcibly deported Ukrainians; Ukrainian-language practices in the Kholm region did not have a chance to develop due to the support of the Austrian occupation authorities for the functions of the German and Polish languages; in Polonized Pidlaschia, occupied by the German authorities, owing to the activities of the Union for the Liberation of Ukraine and later representatives of the Ukrainian authorities, Ukrainian forces managed to partially develop the functions of the Ukrainian language in administration, primary education and periodicals. Ukrainian literary language began to slowly realize its communicative, informational and unifying social functions.

This article examines the role of language education and the language component as an element in countering hybrid threats in Ukraine. Language is explored as a symbol of national identity and a unifying force among Ukrainians in the face of external threats. The literature review investigates language shift and transition from Russian to Ukrainian, particularly among Russian-speaking Ukrainians, as an act of resistance and assertion of Ukrainian identity. Survey data revealed that 90.5% of respondents consider the Ukrainian language important, and 88.5% believe it is necessary to exclusively communicate in Ukrainian within Ukraine. Notably, 41% of Russian-speaking Ukrainians have already transitioned fully or partially to Ukrainian since the invasion. The study also found a decrease in the proportion of Ukrainian residents speaking only Russian at home, from 37% to 13% between 2012 and 2022. Additionally, prior to the invasion, approximately half of Ukrainians frequently watched Russian films or listened to Russian music. Findings emphasize the importance of language education and promotion in countering hybrid threats and preserving linguistic diversity in Ukraine. This research contributes to the understanding of the language component in Ukraine's response to hybrid threats and provides insights for policymakers and educators in fostering language resilience and national identity. This research sheds light on the evolving language dynamics and underscores the importance of the language component in countering hybrid threats in Ukraine. It provides valuable insights into the language attitudes and behaviors of the Ukrainian population and highlights the role of language education and promotion in preserving national identity and resilience in the face of hybrid warfare.

The article shows that archaic language is one of the components and methods of the detection of historical memory of Ukrainians. The analysis of the use of such elements in Old Ukrainian literary language of the 14-18th centuries., in Ukrainian literary language of the 19-20th centuries and in modern Ukrainian dialects has proved “Ukrainianness” of some archaic elements of the Ukrainian language, which are perceived by the language awareness of the modern Ukrainian as elements of the Russian language rather than the elements of its national identity in the diachronic dimension, as these words do exist in the modern Russian literary language, while in the New Ukrainian literary language they are replaced by other lexemes. It is shown that such archaisms in the language awareness of educated Ukrainians, including writers, acquire additional connotations and update their historical memory.

After the partition of Poland in 1772, Galicia was annexed to Austria as a separate administrative and territorial unit, not as an integral part of former Poland. It seemed that the Eastern Galicians would forever get rid of the problems they faced while in Poland. Galicians had grounds to hope to enjoy the same rights and freedoms as other nationalities of the monarchy, that is, to be able to develop their nationality and cherish their mother tongue. However, the political situation regarding the Eastern Galicians on their native land hardly changed. The Poles could not accept the loss of Ukrainian territory and tried every way to restore Poland's borders from sea to sea. The biggest obstacle to achieving their goal was the existence of the Ukrainian language, which they did not recognize as an independent language, but called the Polish language. The Poles tried to eliminate the usage of the Ukrainian language in all spheres of life in Eastern Galicia. The courts were no exception. The language issues in the courts in the Eastern Galicia were repeatedly raised at the meetings of the Diet of Galicia and Lodomeria. In 1861 a decree was passed according to which German language was removed from the courts, and the court proceedings could be conducted in Polish or Ukrainian. However, due to the request of the local Polish authorities in 1869, the Polish language was introduced as a government language in the Eastern Galicia by the Emperor's order. This decision of the Emperor provoked the opposition of the Ukrainians. Therefore, Ukrainian ambassadors tried to defend the rights of the Ukrainian language in the courts at meetings of the Diet of Galicia and Lodomeria. They addressed the Diet with a proposal to recognize the two regional languages, Polish and Ukrainian, as government during court hearings. The Polish ambassadors did not support the Ukrainians, calling the Ukrainian language either Polish or under-developed. Thus, they did not want to introduce Ukrainian into the court system. Keywords Ukrainian language, Polish language, German language, government language, local language, language of court hearings.