Lithuanian relations with dialects, ethnic culture

Tyrimų objektas – visų 5 Lietuvos etnografinių regionų Lietuvos gyventojų ryšiai su gimtąja tarme, tradicine kultūra. Straipsnio tikslas – Tarmių metų proga pasiaiškinti Lietuvos piliečių santykius su tarme ir šnektų išlikimo perspektyvas. Metodas – statistinė apklausos analizė. Išvados: kiekvienoje tolimesnėje kartoje tarmiškai kalbančiųjų sumažėja nuo 10 iki 30 proc. Tarmės vartojimo sferos mažėjančia tvarka: šeima, draugai, kitos sritys, mokykla. Tarmiškai rajonuose kalba apie pusę jaunuolių, dėl to turintys nepatogumų bent dėl 4 dalykų.In order to determine the relationship between Lithuanian youth and their dialect and ethnic culture, 1,775 individuals from all five ethnographic regions of Lithuania have been interviewed, answering 16 questions. The study showed that in each generation, the number of persons speaking in dialects decreased from 10 to 30 per cent (the figure varies due to many factors). Most speak in dialect within their family, with their friends, less – in other spheres, education institutions. Native dialect is still retained by only about half of the young people in Lithuania today. They are influenced by misleading public opinion, that everywhere people must speak only in the common language, since those who speak in dialect will not be understood by everyone else; to speak in front of others in dialect is awkward, "rude". Due to emigration to metropolitan areas, dialect equalization is occurring faster and faster – in the southern and eastern parts of Lithuania, during the next 100 years the dialects may even disappear