LANGUAGE IDENTITY AND LANGUAGE CHOICE OF UKRAINIANS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN WAR AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATIONS

Abstract

The article focuses on the issue of young people’s awareness of their national and language identities as key factors of national unity and resilience in the context of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war. The relevance of the study is determined by profound socio-political transformations caused by the war, which have significantly influenced the linguistic orientations and self-identification practices of Ukrainian youth. Particular attention is paid to changes in language consciousness and language behavior of student youth, who have proven to be the most sensitive social group to the challenges of wartime and the processes of rethinking national belonging. The theoretical framework of the research is based on concepts of national and language identity, which are viewed as interconnected and interdependent sociocultural phenomena shaped by historical, political, and communicative factors. The empirical material consists of language biographies of students of Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University who relocated from temporarily occupied or lifethreatening territories. The method of language biography made it possible to trace the individual dynamics of language change, identify motivational factors behind the shift to the Ukrainian language, and determine the role of the war as a powerful catalyst for rethinking language affiliation. The findings of the study show that for many respondents, the transition to the Ukrainian language is not merely a change in language practice but a conscious act of national self-assertion, civic stance, and symbolic resistance to the aggressor. It has been demonstrated that the transformation of young people’s language identity occurs through a combination of external factors (migration, the influence of the media space, and state language policy) and internal factors (reassessment of values, the emotional experience of war, and the pursuit of authenticity). It is concluded that in wartime conditions, the language identity of young people acquires particular value, transforming into an important resource for the consolidation of Ukrainian society and the strengthening of national resilience.