Preserving the languages of indigenous minorities under globalization (a case study of the Russian North-West)

Abstract

The preservation and development of the languages of indigenous minorities is one of the most urgent problems in the functioning of the ethno-cultural diversity of the planet. The problem poses certain tasks to both the academic community and public and governmental organizations. In this paper, the author analyses the documents and draws on the basic research and his own field materials to consider the preservation of the language of three Balto-Finnic minorities - the Vepsians, the Votians, and the Izhorians. The research has established that the three indigenous minorities face both common and unique problems of language preservation, related to the demography, socio-economic situation of the region, and social aspects of language functioning. One of the most important current problems for the Vepsian, Votic, and Izhorian languages is the gradual loss of their communicative function. A review of the language use has shown that despite all the efforts of ethnic activists and publishing fiction and educational literature in their native language, the functionality of the languages is reducing both in the public and private spheres. The article also discusses the ways to solve the problem. First, the author draws attention to the programs being implemented to support the native languages of indigenous minorities and assess their effectiveness, in terms of both results and the language representatives' perception. At the same time, the author analyses new possible approaches to language support proposed by representatives of the academic, cultural, and educational community. The general message of the article is to recognize the need to exchange views and experience, conduct research and support a social movement aimed at finding optimal solutions to preserve the languages of indigenous minorities in Russian Federation as well as in Central and Eastern Europe.