Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development
Editor and Book Reviews Editor: John Edwards (St Francis Xavier University, Canada)
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Volume: 24 Number: 5 Page: 431–453
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From Russian to Hebrew via HebRush : Intergenerational Patterns of Language Use among Former Soviet Immigrants in Israel
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Larissa Remennick
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The immigrant family is the principal domain where cultural and linguistic heritage can be preserved and transferred to the younger generation. This paper explores how the macro-level sociolinguistic processes in Israel – the increasing ethnic power of Russian speakers during the
1990s and the ensuing higher status of the Russian language – have shaped intra-familial linguistic patterns among former Soviet Jewish immigrants. My analysis is based on participant observation and in-depth interviews conducted with members of three-generational immigrant families who
arrived in Israel during the 1990s and in the earlier wave of the 1970s. The study shows that bilingualism of the last-wave immigrants often manifests as a linguistic hybrid known as HebRush – a lingo that is used both in public and private realms. Conversely, among veteran immigrants
of the 1970s the dismissed Russian has made a comeback into private family usage after years of oblivion, reflecting its recent upsurge as the main 'minority language' of Jewish Israel. The language choices of bilingual immigrants and the use of Russian between immigrant parents and children are
shaped by their dominant sociolinguistic milieu, core cultural values, and the perceived status of this minority language in Israel. In conclusion, I offer some reflections on the interface between core cultural values, family roles and language maintenance among recent immigrants.
Keywords: RUSSIAN IMMIGRANTS, ISRAEL, MULTIGENERATIONAL FAMILY, SOCIAL STATUS OF LANGUAGE, CORE CULTURAL VALUES
© 2003 Multilingual Matters
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