The impact of digital technologies on the language practices within the Russian-German immigrant families in Germany

The present paper aims to explore changes in language practices within the Russian-German immigrant families in Germany after the introduction of digital technologies into everyday life. Specifically, it focuses on the following questions: How did the use of digital technologies change the language practices between (grand)parents and children within nuclear families? How did it change the communication with extended family members, living outside Germany? Did the appearance of digital technologies have an impact on the family language policy (FLP) (cf. Schwartz/Verschik 2013)? The study is based on sociolinguistic questionnaires and guided interviews with 15 immigrant families, who arrived in Germany from the territory of the former Soviet Union in the 1990s or 2000s. All of them use Russian and German in their family communication and would appreciate, if their children, born in Germany, would speak both languages. The analysis of the data has shown that the use of digital technologies had an impact on the language practices within every nuclear family but not necessarily on the use of Russian as a heritage language. In seven families was highlighted the intensification of communication with extended family members living outside Germany, especially through internet-based videoconferencing. Thus, parents and children were compelled to use the Russian language at least verbally, which made an additional positive effect on the children. The use of digital technologies had a supportive effect on intergenerational language transmission, e. g. younger family members gained more access to the Russian language via the internet. However, the FLP is emerging out of the reciprocal influence of the family members on each other. Thus, the role of digital technologies is limited, as the efforts of parents may encounter unwillingness and even protest of children. Reference: Schwartz, M. and Verschik, A. (Eds.) (2013). Successful Family Language Policy. Dordrecht: Springer.