Editor-in-Chief: Dr. Tatiana Larina, PhD (Philology), Professor ISSN: 2687-0088 (Print) ISSN: 2686-8024 (Online) Founded in 1997 г. Publication frequency: quarterly PUBLISHER: Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University) Open Access: . APC: no article processing charge. Peer-Review: double blind. Publication language: Russian, English Indexation: White List RCSI, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection (ESCI), RSCI, Russian Index of Science Citation, ANVUR, Google Scholar, Ulrich's Periodicals Directory, ERICH Plus, DOAJ, Dimensions
Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University)
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Publishing Agreement (Public Offer) to Publish an Article in an Academic Periodical 'Russian Journal of Linguistics' The Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education "Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba” (RUDN University), represented by the Vice-Rector for Scientific Work Andrey Aleksandrovich Kostin, acting under a Power of Attorney No 0036-09/25-122 dated 21.05.2025, hereinafter referred to as the Publisher, on the one hand, hereby offers to the public at large, hereinafter referred to as the Author, on the other hand, hereinafter collectively referred to as the Parties, to enter into this agreement, hereinafter referred to as the Agreement, regarding publication of scholarly materials, hereinafter referred to as the Article, in the Journal named 'Russian Journal of Linguistics', hereinafter referred to as the Journal, under the following terms. 1. General Terms and Conditions 1.1. 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Language policy in multiethnic countries: Current trends
This introductory article surveys current theoretical and methodological trends in language policy research in multilingual and multiethnic societies, with particular attention to the post-Soviet space and the Russian Federation. Drawing on structural, critical, ecological, and urban sociolinguistic approaches, the paper traces the evolution of language policy scholarship from early language planning models to contemporary frameworks emphasizing multilingualism, globalization, social inequality, and linguistic revitalization. The discussion integrates key concepts such as language management, linguistic markets, speech accommodation, superdiversity, and decolonial critiques of the “native speaker” paradigm. Particular attention is paid to the tensions between top-down state management and bottom-up language practices, especially in urban multilingual settings and endangered language communities. The growing role of language documentation and revitalization is also examined, highlighting current initiatives in Russia aimed at preserving linguistic diversity through scientifically grounded and community-centered approaches. Finally, the paper introduces the contributions to this special issue, which collectively explore language policy, identity, multilingual education, language maintenance, and revitalization across a range of global and local contexts. Together, the volume demonstrates that multilingualism is a normative social condition requiring flexible, multi-scalar, and socially responsive policy frameworks.
Copyright (c) 2026 Bergelson M.B., Grenoble L.A. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Possible peaceful existence of national and minority languages
This study examines whether it is socially feasible for a country to accommodate minority languages alongside a national language without this leading to tensions, violence or separatist movements. The aim of this article therefore is to discuss and clarify the relationship between national languages and minority languages, so that there is sufficient social space and appreciation for minority languages without detracting from the importance of a national language. This study comprises a review of the literature, beginning with the period in which national standard languages emerged and were codified, and culminating in the conviction that a country should be monolingual and that minority and regional languages should be eradicated. Particular attention is paid to the linguistic ideas of the French Revolution and German Romanticism. The violent consequences of such a policy of linguistic essentialism are illustrated by examples of the language disputes in Spain and Belgium. Next, again based on a review of the literature, the study examines the late 20th century response at (Western) European level to the violent actions of oppressed linguistic minorities. It emerges that a solution is sought in a specifically anti-essentialist approach, characterized by inclusiveness, diversity and tolerance. This approach is proving successful. The results show that a policy less focused on centralization and standardization can provide space for minority languages without detracting from the status of the national language, thereby preventing potential tensions and violent actions. The article therefore concludes with a plea to promote an approach, which emphasizes diversity and therefore tolerant attitudes.
Copyright (c) 2026 Hamans C. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Maintenance and revitalization of the languages of Russia: Problems in research and practice
Some years ago, “the preservation of linguistic diversity” was included among the official language policy goals in Russia. The goal is difficult to conceptualize and operationalize for practical purposes by the given broad official definition of “linguistic diversity” and by a lack of the official definition of the “preservation”. Meanwhile, the goal is pursued as practical activity by language policy practitioners and language activists as well as applied research by scholars. In this context, understanding of what the actors present as its achievement is, therefore, both a practical and scientific problem. The aim of the paper is to analyze academic and official discourses and practices in order to understand how scientific experts in interaction with public officials conceptualize and operationalize the preservation of linguistic diversity in Russia and what they do in practice. The research material consists of texts of official documents, oral discussions by participation of experts and officials during the drafting and approval of their draft versions, and ethnographic data. The material was collected and interpreted drawing on participant observation and discourse analysis. The results show that the unresolved theoretical problem of interdisciplinary causes also problems in applied research. Due to the underdevelopment of the research program on language policy in Russia, applied research is currently carried out mainly within the framework of language revitalization, which, however, is hardly able to provide effective solutions in a country with a state-centric political culture. In practice, efforts at revitalization and documentation replace work on maintaining languages. The study argues that without high-quality scientific expertise in the socio-political sphere of language use, language policy and language revitalization remain ineffective also as a practical activity.
Copyright (c) 2026 Zamyatin K.Y. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Language ecology of minority languages of Sakha (Yakutia) in the mirror of the All-Russian Census 2020-2021
This study applies the framework of the ecology of language, defined by Einar Haugen as the study of interactions between a language and its environment, to evaluate the reliability of population census data for sociolinguistic analysis. Focusing on the 2020-2021 Russian Census, the paper investigates its usefulness in describing language situations among indigenous minorities in the north-east of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). The study adopts a qualitative and critical analytical approach. First, general features of the census are assessed, including coverage completeness and the clarity and adequacy of terminology used in ethnic and linguistic categories. Second, the broader sociolinguistic context-particularly language endangerment in north-eastern Russia-is examined. Finally, selected census data are analyzed for ten indigenous languages: Aleut, Aliutor, Chukchi, Dolgan, Even, Evenki, Eskimo, Itel’men, Koryak, and Yukaghir. The analysis reveals inconsistencies in census outcomes, including unexpected increases and decreases in reported speaker populations across several languages. These fluctuations do not consistently align with established trends in language vitality or decline, raising questions about data reliability. The findings suggest that census responses are shaped more by speaker attitudes, identity, and self-perception than by actual language use or proficiency. Consequently, while the census provides valuable insights into sociocultural identification, it is less effective as a precise instrument for measuring linguistic vitality. This underscores the need for complementary methodologies in assessing minority language situations.
Copyright (c) 2026 Gabdrakhmanova G.F., Vakhtin N.B. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
From Greenland to Yakutia: Grounding language policy in multilingual practices in the Arctic
Urbanization is a global trend, and even remote, sparsely populated areas like the Arctic are undergoing massive migrations into cities, radically changing the language ecologies for local languages. The present study aims to understand the interrelations between different components of the language ecology, and to develop a theoretical framework for future analyses. Two Arctic regional cities, Nuuk, the capital of semi-autonomous Greenland, and Yakutsk, the capital of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), are analyzed as case studies in the analysis. This study relies on participant-observation fieldwork, focused interviews on language attitudes and language proficiency, and a survey of existing documentation (official surveys, records, policies, and media reports) on language policies and their implementation in both regions. Interviews were conducted in multiple trips to both regions from 2019-2025. Observational data documenting changes in language behavior and attitudes dates from 2008 in Greenland, and from 2017 in Yakutsk, to the present. Attitudinal and usage data comes from sociolinguistic surveys, in-depth sociolinguistic interviews, informal discussions, and participant-observation in Nuuk and Yakutsk. Applying Appadurai’s (1990, 1996) scape theory to these differing language ecologies reveals the complex and interconnected nature of factors contributing to language usage, and the necessity of a multifaceted approach to implementing policies to foster language vitality.
Copyright (c) 2026 Grenoble L.A. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Language policies and realities in Dutch classrooms
This study examines the gap between the multilingual realities of today’s classrooms and the continued dominance of monolingual norms in national education systems. The situation in the Netherlands is used as a case study to show a broader point. Although classrooms are becoming more linguistically diverse, immigrant and heritage languages remain marginalised, which contributes to unequal opportunities and exclusion. The purpose of this literature-based study is to show how national language policies shape classroom practices and teacher attitudes, and to assess whether these policies support inclusion or reinforce linguistic marginalisation. The material used consists mainly of international and Dutch peer-reviewed academic publications on multilingualism, language policy, and (multilingual) education, including empirical and comparative research across different national and international contexts. In addition, it includes key theoretical works as well as policy- and practice-oriented publications from governmental and international organizations, together providing a solid academic and policy foundation for research on multilingualism, education, and social justice. Special attention is given to how the ideas behind Dutch language policy influence fairness in education. The main findings show that Dutch education policy strongly prioritises Dutch as the only legitimate language of schooling. Immigrant languages such as Turkish, Arabiс and Polish are largely absent from curricula, assessment, in-class communication and teacher training. Many teachers still view students’ home languages as obstacles to learning. Although translanguaging and other inclusive strategies have been shown to improve participation, understanding, and students’ sense of belonging, their use remains limited and inconsistent because of institutional barriers and dominant language ideologies. Overall, the study demonstrates that linguistic inequality is reproduced by policy choices and their underlying ideologies and prejudices. The study suggests that meaningful inclusion requires coordinated reforms in teacher education, curriculum design, assessment practices, and language ideology. When linguistic diversity is treated as a resource, national policies can help create more equitable classrooms that value all students’ linguistic backgrounds.
Copyright (c) 2026 Smakman D. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Four generations, three languages, one island: Language shift and identity negotiation among Sakhalin Koreans
This article investigates language shift and identity negotiation among four generations of Sakhalin Koreans, drawing on 44 life-history interviews conducted in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. The study aims to reveal the patterns and strategies used by speakers of highly endangered languages via complex analysis of the contexts of unbalanced bilingualism. It examines how Korean, Russian, and Japanese have accumulated distinct ideological meanings across a century of displacement, colonial rule, Soviet assimilation and post-Soviet transformation. The analysis demonstrates that language shift in this community does not follow a linear path toward Russian, but instead reflects patterned strategies developed within families to maintain heritage connections while adapting to institutional and social pressures. First-generation multilingual repertoires illustrate the historical layering of linguistic resources; second-generation speakers navigate the closure of Korean-medium schools by developing ‘kitchen Korean’ as a functional domestic code; third-generation speakers rely on symbolic and receptive ties to Korean; and fourth-generation speakers engage with heritage largely through popular culture and transnational mobility aspirations. Across these trajectories, identity emerges as a negotiated and historically situated process rather than a fixed category. Speakers draw on available linguistic and cultural resources to position themselves within overlapping layers of belonging (ethnic, regional, national, and transnational). The findings highlight the durability of heritage identities even under conditions of linguistic assimilation and contribute to broader debates on multilingualism, diaspora identity, and the long-term dynamics of language maintenance and loss in minority communities. The study contributes to understanding how identity negotiation operates in contexts marked by multiple displacement experiences and shifting political arrangements.
Copyright (c) 2026 Zoumpalidis D.Y., Bergelson M.B. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Lexical interference between Ukrainian and Russian in the speech of Sevastopol residents
This article examines the persistence and functions of Ukrainian lexical elements in the Russian-language speech of Sevastopol residents against the backdrop of shifting language policies and political transformations. The research problem arises from an observable paradox: although Ukrainian was widely resisted as a language of everyday communication during the period when Sevastopol belonged to Ukraine, elements of Ukrainian vocabulary nevertheless became embedded in local speech through prolonged exposure to media, education, and bureaucratic discourse. After 2014, when Ukrainian disappeared from official domains, some of these lexical elements continued to be used in everyday interaction. Over time, however, these traces have begun to fade, making it important to document them as residual linguistic phenomena. The aim of this study is to systematize the Ukrainian lexical elements present in the Russian speech of Sevastopol residents and to identify their sociolinguistic functions. The data were obtained through surveys and interviews, on the base of which a corpus of approximately 150 Ukrainian words and expressions was compiled. The corpus was analyzed using the methods of thematic classification, and functional-pragmatic analysis in order to determine patterns of distribution and communicative motivation. The results demonstrate that even language policies that fail to produce large-scale language shift can leave lexical residues in everyday speech. Ukrainian expressions persisted as tools of communicative efficiency, emotional expression, quotation, irony, and group identity. The study contributes to sociolinguistic theory by emphasizing that language policy outcomes must be evaluated not only through institutional indicators but also through everyday linguistic practices, where ideology, habit, and memory intersect.
Copyright (c) 2026 Nekrasova M.Y. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Llanito: Neither language nor emerging variety
This paper addresses the so-called Llanito , a type of Spanglish spoken in the British colony of Gibraltar. Llanito has been repeatedly defined as a linguistic variety, outcome of the contact between Spanish and English, and scholars support this claim by providing a list of words and referring to the identity feelings shared among the population. However, the data obtained from a fieldwork campaign suggest another reality. The aim of this article is to demonstrate that the so-called Llanito is nothing more than the label applied to the process of code-switching, which has not resulted in the emergence of a new variety. By means of a compilation of spontaneous voice messages, semi-conducted interviews and free conversations, I have recorded the speech of 22 people, from both sexes, different generations and various educational backgrounds. The results state that Llanito cannot be considered a language or an emerging variety, for it deals with a process of code-switching within an unstable bilingual society that heads for English monolingualism. In fact, current Gibraltar exhibits all the stages of this evolution, each of which is embodied by a different generation. Despite the vindications regarding the cultural, linguistic and historical heritage that Llanito is said to represent, social mobility turns out to be the reason why speakers gradually dismiss Spanish and tend to become English monolinguals, making thus Llanito reduce the younger the individual is. Moreover, the affirmation that Llanito is a language or a variety lacks empirical support, since it is impossible to determine the lexicon, as well as the phonetic and grammatical structure, that characterise it. The results contribute to disentangling the complexity of Spanglish in its different manifestations and to shedding more light to the study of linguistic variation.
Copyright (c) 2026 Lara Bermejo V. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Languages of indigenous minorities of the North: Between assimilation and revitalization
The languages of Indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North of Russia are under the most serious threat. At the same time, population censuses record an increase in the number of those claiming to speak ethnic languages against the background of ongoing language shift, which raises the question of the nature of this phenomenon and its significance for the future of minority languages. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the languages spoken by the indigenous peoples in the North of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) are at risk of being lost or have the potential for revival. The materials comprised data from the All-Russian Population Censuses of 2010 and 2020, results of local sociolinguistic studies, and field research (2022-2024). The methods employed included comparative analysis of census data, critical juxtaposition of statistical and expert assessments, and sociolinguistic questionnaire surveys. The study revealed a discrepancy between the declared and actual language proficiency in censuses This may reflect the phenomenon of increasing symbolic power of languages while their communicative power declines. Indigenous languages of the North not only interact with Russian, but also with the Yakut language, which has historically served as a lingua franca in the region. The Evenki language demonstrates territorial heterogeneity of language processes: from predominantly symbolic functioning in Yakut-speaking Evenki communities to relative preservation in villages of Southern Yakutia, where intergenerational transmission has been weakened. We find that youth with actualized ethnic identity demonstrate high language loyalty regardless of actual language proficiency. The emergence of "new speakers" and the development of local language initiatives is interpreted as evidence of the transformation of symbolic power into practical action. The study revealed the transition of the languages of Indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North: from uncontrolled assimilation to conscious attempts at language revival. The success of this revival might depend on the ability to transform the increased symbolic power of languages into actual communicative practices.
Copyright (c) 2026 Danilov I.A. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Review of Matras, Yaron. 2024. Speech and the City: Multilingualism, Decoloniality and the Civic University. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Copyright (c) 2026 Zoumpalidis D.Y. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Book review: Perlin, Ross. 2024. Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues in New York. First edn. New York, NY: Atlantic Monthly Press
Copyright (c) 2026 Mazurova J.V. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0