What languages do Ukrainians in Japan prioritize in daily life?

Анотація

Background. This empirical research investigates which of four languages (Ukrainian, Russian, English, Japanese) is prioritized or used more often in the daily activities of multiligual Ukrainians living in Japan.

Purpose. In this paper, I analyse factors that can affect the linguistic priorities of the respondents and actual use of languages in their daily life, and discuss the relationship between the language use and such factors.

Results. The hypothesis that those respondents who stayed in Japan for a longer time use more Japanese and those who stay shorter tend to use more English is not supported by our data. It cannot be said that the phenomenon of prioritizing Ukrainian exists only among the respondents from the western part of Ukraine. My findings show that Japanese language is used more often than the three other languages, and in general, Ukrainian is prioritized over Russian. The use of English depends on the length of stay of respondents more than other languages.

Key words: language choice, multilingual, sociolinguistics, Ukrainian, Russian, English, Japanese.