Dynamic Models of Multilingualism on the Territory of Western Ukraine

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study lexical units, with the help of which it becomes possible to build up the models of multilingualism, which are dominant among the population on the territory of Western Ukraine. Methods. Theoretical methods – categorical and structurally-functional analysis of the texts, the methods of systematization, modeling, generalization; empirical ones – the analysis of lexical units, the experiment. For the purpose of studying the models of multilingualism we used “The Methodology of studying the models of multilingualism on the territory of Western Ukraine (by the influence of Russian, English and German” (Mykhalchuk & Ivashkevych, 2022). Results. Dynamic models of multilingualism on the territory of Western Ukraine are: the Model of Balanced Ambilingualism and the Model of Unbalanced or Asymmetric Bilingualism. There are two types of Balanced Ambilingualism: (1) the Model of Ambilingual Balanced Bilingualism. It emphasizes that both language systems are developed to the highest level of perfect mastery of the language as mastering a native one; (2) the Model of Non-Ambilingual Balanced Bilingualism implies that both language systems aren’t at the same level of their development. Unbalanced or Asymmetric Bilingualism is presented by two sub-models: (1) Transitional Bilingualism; (2) Stable Dominant Multilingualism. Conclusions. Any multilingual system is not reduced to the summation of different monolingual systems. Multilingual psycholinguistic systems of the person are open ones. The bilingual’s metalinguistic abilities show a strengthening effect when the person is studying not only the second, but also the third or more languages. Accumulating such advantages as cognitive variability (mobility), metalinguistic abilities, metapragmatic and sociocultural “awareness”, multilinguals also accumulate some disadvantages: a deficit in the level of language proficiency due to interlanguage interactions; limitations in language acquisition and language efforts.