Język a tożsamość etniczna

Kształtowanie się poczucia narodowego młodej polskiej diaspory w warunkach wielokulturowości

Abstract

Language and ethnic identity. Ethnic identity of young Polish diaspora in a multicultural society

More than two million people emigrated from Poland after the accession to the European Union. Most of them were young, and future parents. In the coming years, Polish diaspora will grow by several thousand children born outside of their parents’ homeland. These children will, and already do, face the necessity of reconciling the awareness of their Polish roots with the need to find their place inside the community of the country they live in. Language is the key both to their inherited culture, and to the culture of the host community. Polish, and the language of the dominant society. A generation of diaspora is now growing, that was immersed from birth in two languages and two cultures. It is the task of the parents, of the teachers, and of the Polish state, to make bilingualism the wealth of these children, and of both of their homelands. Well-planned work with parents is necessary, but most of all, an accurate identification of the mechanisms of linguistic interference in the conditions of life in two languages should be thoroughly investigated.