Russian-Belarusian Cross-Lingual Interference and Trasianka: Computer-Mediated Verification and Scientific Reflection

The aim of this study is to verify the essence of the object - the Russian-Belarusian crosslingual interference, to estimate the criteria and features of relevant scientific reflection in the context and by the means of the computer-mediated discourse paradigm. The influence of a number of historical, social and cultural factors on the functionality of the communication sphere of Belarus was characterized. Identification specifics of the mother tongue in Belarus is noticed: despite the fact that most of the communicants in Belarus claim Belarusian as their mother tongue they are Russian-speaking. The variability and contrariety of Belarusian metalanguage codification were described. In particular, it is noted that over the past hundred years a number of attempts has been made to correct the regulatory framework of the Belarusian language, but this only complicated the speech practice and inspired the formation of parallel language variants - “tarashkevitsa” and “narkomovka”. This language instability has contributed to the productivity of Russian-Belarusian mixed speech practice, particularly. In the course of the study, a review of existing views on the issues of Russian-Belarusian crosslingual interference was conducted, an important specificity of the intra- and extralinguistic identity of the corresponding discourse was revealed. It was noticed that Russian-Belarusian cross-lingual interference is a multidirectional syncretic process against the background of official bilingualism. At the same time, both the Russian and Belarusian languages in Belarus retain their identity. Trasianka - a stable speech stereotype that reflects the mutual systemic interference of the Russian and Belarusian languages - is caused by the Russian-Belarusian cross-lingual interference as well as by the complicated discursive practice. The trasianka identity is directly related to the practice of a non-native (second) standard language acquisition - mainly Russian. The terminological context of the usage of “trasianka” nomination was described. The functioning of trasianka is inherent for the entire language space of Belarus and lasts for a long time, but in the communication aspect it is a non-independent synthetic speech practice. The key motivation for the emergence and stability of trasianka is its cultural conditionality - the functional relationship of trasianka and culturelect was revealed. With that, it was figured out that some statistical data and analytical conclusions - describing the language situation in Belarus - were received with numerous methodological errors. A comprehensive discursive analysis of the sphere of the language functioning in Belarus - with elements of statistical and sociolinguistic verification - was conducted and relevant modeling of meta-format was carried out. The study provides answers to fundamental questions of the problem domain.

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