Shentsova, I.V.

Kuzbass State Pedagogical Academy, Novokuznetsk

Learning the Native Language by Shor Youth in the Context of University and Graduate Education

Shentsova, Irina Vitalievna

The Shore language (one of the Turkic language of Southern Siberia) is related to the endangered languages [1]. The modern language situation has a humanitarian aspect (the language as one of the most important features of the civilization, historical heritage of all the humanity) and pragmatic aspect (communicative role of the language, the scale of its spread and problems connected with the translation of the language to the next generations) to it.

According to the data of 2002, the total Shore population equals to 13900 people, with 11600 of them living in Kemerovskaya Province (Kuzbass). The traditional territory occupied by Shor population is Gornaya Shoria (the south of Kuzbass). Historically, Shor, to a considerable degree, represent a heterogenic ethnic formation, which at present is revealed in socio-cultural and dialectal differences [2]. Two ethnolinguistic centers – Myski (named after Myski City) and Tashtagol (named after Tashtagol City), which have been formed in the context of intensive industrialization of Kuzbass, are developing as rather autonomous, which presents an obstacle to the total integration of Shor.

The description of the condition of the endangered language and its forecast requires data on the number of native speakers according to several parameters (age, ethnic affiliation of the spouse and his/her language, sphere of the use of the native language). By the present moment socio-linguistic studies of Shor “Myski ethnolinguistic center” have been conducted [3]. Our observations of the recent 20 years suggest that the analogical situation can be witnessed within “Kondoma ethno-dialectal area”. Following are the statistical data obtained in the result of the survey conducted among Shor of Chuvashenskiy village council, Myski City [4]. For instance, the native language is fluently spoken by: Shors older than 50 – 100%, Shors of 30-50 years old – 55%, Shors younger than 30 – 20%. 80% of Shors younger than 30 and 19% of Shors of 30-50 years old can hardly speak and understand Shor.

From the point of view of teaching of Shor, the given data can serve as a rather stable basis for continued learning of the native language by Shor in the context of educational institutions, renewed in 1989, after almost 50 year break.

At present Shor children learn the native language and literature in the elementary and higher school in different forms of the organization of educational process, more often at the lessons of Shor language in the frameworks of extracurricular activities. A number of schools, where Shor children are taught the native language, is fluctuating, however, Shor language is regularly taught in three schools of the vicinities of Myski city and Mezhdurechinsk city, and in three-four district schools of Tashtagol city.

In the system of higher philological education Shor language and literature have been taught as an elective specialty at the department of Russian language and literature of KuzSPA (Kuzbass State Pedagogical Academy) in Novokuznetsk (former pedagogical institute) since 1989. The first class (5 students) graduated in 1994; since that time specialists with qualification “a teacher of Russian language and literature, a teacher of Shor language and literature” have been graduating the academy annually. 97 people in total have graduated the academy by 2005. At present 57 people (from the first to the fifth courses) are studying at the department of Shor literature and language. Thus, the “life” of Shor language in its literary form is being supported by dominating number of young Shor (certainly, mostly due to the school education, since only a part of school graduates enter the pedagogical academy to receive the qualification of “a teacher of Shor language”).

In 2002 new specialty 10.02.02 “Languages of the Peoples of Russia (Shor language)” was opened in the graduate school of KuzSPA. In academic year 2005-2006 5 people study this specialty. Graduate student of the first course of graduate studies D.M. Tokmashev has successfully submitted the thesis of C. Sc. Out of 6 graduate students, 4 people represent Shor (3 persons) and Teleut (1 person) peoples, 2 students – Russian.

Thus, a considerable part of Shor youth has been involved in learning the native language. In fact, such organization of education of Shor is a humanitarian act on behalf of the state, since the number of specialists in the native language exceeds the number of jobs. In practice, Shor philologists are employed in the main sphere of their specialization (“Russian language and literature”), in related disciplines (working in museums, mass media), or obtaining the second higher education. In this connection the question of the concept of higher education in Russia arises. Thus, the search of the integrating national concept leads public figures to the situation when it is the educational system of Russia which integrates all ethnic groups into a single entity. In this connection he state should not restrict the access of the population to the higher education. The state, possessing enormous economic potential, should distribute expense items in a different way, not cutting but rather increasing the funding of the education sphere.

References

1. Шенцова И.В., Насилов Д.М. Шорский язык // Языки народов России. Красная книга. Энциклопедический словарь-справочник. М.: Academia, 2002. С.256-267. [back]
2. Кимеев В.М. Шорцы. Кто они? Кемерово, 1989; Чиспияков Э.Ф. Язык, история, культура тюрков Южной Сибири. Кемерово, 2004; Борина Л.С. К истории формирования этнического самосознания шорцев // Этнологическая экспертиза. Выпуск 1. Кемерово, 2005. С.175-178. [back]
3. Этнологическая экспертиза. Выпуск 1. Кемерово, 2005. [back]
4. Этнологическая экспертиза. Выпуск 1. Кемерово, 2005. С.181. [back]

Translated into English by O.A. Povoroznyuk

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