BILINGUALISM AND LANGUAGE IDENTITY IN UZBEK AND ENGLISH LINGUISTIC CONTEXTS

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between bilingualism and language identity within Uzbek and English linguistic contexts, addressing the growing significance of multilingual practices in the era of globalization. The research is motivated by the increasing need to understand how individuals negotiate cultural and social belonging through language choice, code-switching, and stylistic variation. The objective of the study is to conduct a comparative sociolinguistic analysis of bilingual practices and their impact on identity construction in two distinct cultural settings.

A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining sociolinguistic surveys, semi-structured interviews, and textual analysis. The empirical data consisted of 40 Uzbek bilinguals (Uzbek–Russian and Uzbek–English speakers) and 40 English bilinguals (English–Spanish, English–Arabic, and English–Mandarin speakers). Quantitative data from surveys revealed the domains of language use, while qualitative insights from interviews highlighted attitudes toward bilingualism and code-switching. In addition, bilingual literary and media texts were analyzed to identify discourse markers, lexical borrowings, and stylistic patterns that reveal the symbolic function of bilingualism in identity formation.

The findings demonstrate that bilingualism in Uzbek society continues to be shaped by historical diglossia and post-Soviet multilingualism, where Russian retains prestige in academic and scientific discourse, while Uzbek serves as a marker of cultural heritage. Younger generations are increasingly engaging in Uzbek–English bilingualism due to educational reforms and global communication. In English-speaking contexts, bilingualism emerges primarily from migration and multiculturalism, with code-switching functioning as a powerful identity marker, symbolizing belonging, resistance, or solidarity. Textual analysis confirms that Uzbek bilingual texts reflect lexical borrowing in formal registers, whereas English bilingual texts display stylistic hybridity, particularly in creative writing.

This research contributes to sociolinguistic theory by providing comparative evidence of how bilingualism functions as a socio-cultural strategy of identity negotiation across different traditions. It also offers practical implications for language education and policy-making. In Uzbekistan, policies should balance the promotion of the national language with the preservation of bilingual competence for global integration. In English-speaking societies, bilingualism should be recognized as a resource that strengthens multicultural identity rather than as a linguistic deficit. The study concludes that bilingualism, though rooted in different cultural and historical conditions, universally serves as a marker of identity and cultural belonging.