| Abstract [eng] |
The object of the paper is Standard Language and dialect domains. Domain is understood as an extralinguistic category that concerns activity rather than place; a discursive situation rather than mere language. The trinomial domain classification extended by Anton M. Hagen (instrumental public domains, e.g., school, public institutions, conversations with strangers; solidarity domains, e.g., friends, neighbours, colleagues; separate domains, e.g., family) serves as an organizational scheme that has structured the analysis performed. The empirical basis for the scientific discussion was formed by the research data of youth language attitudes. 302 respondents from Varėna ‘Rytas’ and Telšiai ‘Atžalynas’ compulsory schools took part in the test. The data for the research was obtained with the use of indirect method, that is why the formulated insights are not strictly imperative; they should be considered rather as hypotheses for the holistic Standard Language and dialectal language domain analysis that could embrace both the direct and indirect methods. The research data show that in the consciousness of the ordinary representatives of the younger generation, opposition between the Standard Language and dialect domains is not clear or strict. This might be due to the alteration of the ‘market value’ of the dialectal language. High rates of the dialects’ suitability in certain domains (e.g., separate; solidarity) do confirm such an observation. The sample of the research does not allow a formulation of any one-sided insights due to an altering value of dialectal language in the social context. However, rather high level of competence of the respondents and their parents as well as the declared code selections when communicating with grandparents, parents, brothers and sisters are informative enough. No doubt, the language attitudes of young people may serve as a sufficient basis for a construction of the competitive Standard Language and dialectal language schemes in a separate (i.e., home) domain. The analysis showed that Standard Language and dialectal language share the solidarity (i.e., friends’) domain. Indeed, such competition is very significant. The solidarity domain is the realm of identification formation; in other words, if the acceptance of a dialect usage is not questioned in regard to a young person’s expression of identity, it is reasonable to speak about the dialect renaissance in Lithuania. On the other hand, the analysis reveals that such opposites as publicity/privateness and officiality/unofficiality still remain significant factors for the selection of Standard Language or dialectal language. Hence, Standard Language dominates within the instrumental domain. |
