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N. Anthony Brown
This research analyzes self-reported native language and mother tongue data from Belarusian university-age students and discusses the role of language in shaping individual and collective identity. Participants’ gender, language of questionnaire, and region of residence also serve as important variables in understanding identity formation in contemporary Belarus. Mother tongue and native language data analyzed in this article differ significantly, thus suggesting a separation of roles – a symbolic role performed by one’s native language (родной язык), whereas a functional role performed by one’s base language, or mother tongue.
“To those who have never undergone forced cultural assimilation, the issue may seem trivial. What difference does it make what language is spoken or what it is called? To those who have had their use of language restricted, however, the matter goes beyond mere defiance. Language is the medium of the culture on which their daily lives and identities are based. To define what language can be spoken is to define the identity of not only the individual but also the country.” – Helen Fedor (1995)
