Language attitudes in the setting of Russo-Belarusian bilingualism

Abstract

Studies of Russo-Belarusian bilingualism rarely employ a multidisciplinary approach that makes it possible to present language-related issues against a broad sociocultural background. The methodology of cultural anthropology is employed even more rarely. All this sometimes leads to superficial, or even plainly mistaken, conclusions. This article presents the problem of attitudes towards the Belarusian and Russian languages on the basis of a study based on in-depth individual interviews with students of a university in Minsk. The interviews reveal considerable ambivalence towards the Belarusian language. A comparison with on-line discussions and questionnaire data allows for a more objective representation of the issue.