Speech Competencies in Russian-Speaking Monolinguals of the Tyva Republic in the Context of Tuvan-Russian Bilingualism

Abstract

This article features monolingualism in the Tuvan-Russian bilingual community. Language acquisition, especially when it is the second language, follows psychological rather than linguistic patterns, e.g., assimilation and imitation. In this research, we made an attempt to study the individual psychological features of speech as a higher mental function. Our respondents positioned themselves as monolinguals and denied that they had an opportunity to practice their second language. The research objective was to identify and record some linguistic competencies in the Tuvan language in Russian monolinguals, as well as to conduct a qualitative analysis of their language skills. We used such diagnostic methods as clinical interview, observation, and questionnaires to obtain data on some linguistic competencies in the second non-native language spoken by monolinguals. While profiling a typical linguistic personality, we recorded some linguistic competencies in the second language that the respondents were not aware of. In the linguistic environment of the Tyva Republic, monolingualism is possible only at the early stages of cognitive development. In ontogenesis, it transforms into psychological bilingualism, and then into multilingualism. The Russian-speaking monolinguals of the Tuva Republic develop their speech competencies in a natural bilingual environment. As a result of the natural bilingual environment, Russian-speaking monolinguals develop unconscious speech competencies that actually make them bilinguals.