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Why do we hear so little about some minority languages spoken in Russia today, and so much about others? The ’size’ of a language in popular discourse is often associated with the number and/or the political power of its speakers. This module takes a view of linguistic diversity irrespective of such factors. Instead, language diversity is understood in terms of linguistic structure on all levels: phonology, morphology, syntax, and discourse. Language endangerment, in turn, is particularly alarming if, as is usually the case, it leads to a decrease in diversity and to the loss of a different world view. One of the aims of the module is to explore historical and current trends that shape(d) the perceived importance of language both in the native-speaking minority and in the majority community.

Defining questions of the module include:

- What is the language landscape of Russia and of the former Soviet Union like, and what are the main historical events that helped shape this diversity? How do diversity and endangerment correlate?

- How do language policy and planning influence the future of languages and their speakers’ choices of language use?

- What are the reasons for language shift and language extinction in a bilingual minority context?

- What are the main trends of language revitalisation and patterns of endangerment today?

The module is an introduction not only to the sociolinguistic situation of the minority languages of Russia but also to the study of some of the languages. By critically evaluating the impact of language policy and the challenges to language revitalisation, you will develop an introductory knowledge of the methods of sociolinguistic research and the main principles of studying endangered languages.