Types of bilingualism and their quantitative distribution in the Moscow region diaspora group (II)

The results of the author's studies on the quantitative distribution of passive and active bilingualism by age cohorts in the Chuvash diaspora in the Moscow region are presented in the article. The vitality of the Chuvash language causes anxiety due to the fact that more than a half of the Chuvash ethnos lives outside the Republic. Active bilingualism is typical of those born in the country, they have vocational education, except younger age cohorts, who almost all have higher education. Passive bilinguals are natives of cities, towns and district centres of the Republic, regardless of their education level. Functionally Russian is the first language for all the respondents in Moscow region. Active bilinguals equally use Chuvash, code-switching is determined by the situation, the interlocutor, the topic of the conversation. In the Chuvash Republic they would rather use Chuvash in the country, than in the city, thus preserving stereotypes about Chuvash as a backward, not prestigious language, but many are trying to overcome stereotypes and make conscious efforts to speak Chuvash in the city. It is likely to be the result of language reforms, carried out since 1990s, a wider use of Chuvash in various spheres, the obligatory study of the Chuvash language even at city schools. However, as the survey reveals, both active and passive bilinguals are not satisfied with the quality of Chuvash language studies at school, active bilinguals speak Chuvash due to transgenerational transmission of the language in the family, passive bilinguals keep fragmentary knowledge of the language they acquired in childhood, when spending summer holidays in a Chuvash village. Passive bilinguals use Russian both in Moscow region and back in the Chuvash Republic, but they feel emotionally attached to the language of their parents. Meetings as a part of the events organized by the Chuvash diaspora, a wider scope of modern technologies, overcoming of stereotypes, awareness of the values of bilingualism, all contribute to the Chuvash language maintenance and functioning, though somewhat partial in the Chuvash diaspora in the Moscow region.