SOCIAL AND SOCIO-LINGUISTIC ASPECTS OF ADAPTATION OF UKRAINIAN WAR REFUGEES IN CANADA

Abstract

The article outlines up-to-date social and sociolinguistic aspects of adaptation of Ukrainian war refugees in Canada. With the beginning of the military aggression and the invasion of Russian invaders into the territory of Ukraine, a large part of the local population left their homes and went to other countries. The process of adaptation and socialization of newly arrived Ukrainians is the subject of study not only of sociology, but also of psychology, sociolinguistics and other related disciplines. In our research, we make an attempt to describe the general conditions, realities and socialization trends of different age groups of Ukrainian war refugees who found refuge in Canada. Our special attention is being paid to the processes of interaction between the English and Ukrainian languages from the point of view of their coexistence and mutual influence in various spheres of socio-cultural communication. As a result of the conducted research, we conclude that the processes of mutual influence of the two languages in various spheres of communication are inevitable, since the socialization of the newly arrived Ukrainians takes place in an immediate contact with speakers of English both on the everyday level and during cooperation in professional spheres. In addition, there is a mutual influence of the two languages on each other: the Ukrainians are forced to master at least basic spoken English, since a full-fledged life in an English-speaking environment is impossible without it, while the Canadians, mostly representatives of the previous waves of Ukrainian immigration, and not only, being in close contact with Ukrainian-speaking participants in the communication process, feel the significant influence of the Ukrainian language, especially in the field of professional cooperation. From the point of view of social aspects of the newly arrived Ukrainians’ adaptation, the following should be noted: psychological support of the war victims, creation of the necessary conditions for their involvement in new communities for full communication and life, as well as provision of all necessary social guarantees, which is a basic condition for their well-being and full socialization in the new society.