KER ČE NE ZNAŠ SLOVENSKEGA JEZIKA, JE KOT DA NE BI BIL SLOVENEC (VLOGA SLOVENSKEGA JEZIKA PRI OBLIKOVANJU ETNIČNE IDENTITETE PRI TRETJI IN ČETRTI GENERACIJI SLOVENSKIH POLITIČNIH EMIGRANTOV V ARGENTINI)

This text examines the role of the Slovene language in shaping the ethnic identity of the third and fourth generations of Slovene political emigrants (SPE) in Argentina. They are (were) a specifically homogeneous group, closed for foreign, Argentinean influences, which includes the language as well. The high cultural consciousness and regard for Slovene traditions and folklore helped form numerous cultural associations, where creativity and communication were allowed only in Slovene language – with any violation of these rules resulting in serious moral accusations.The research dates to April 2006, when it was carried out among the pupils of Saturday Slovene language schools and the students of the Slovene matura course, both in Buenos Aires. Its main target group were the third and fourth generations of SPE, who are, in contrast to their (grand) parents, very much acculturated. They feel a strong emotional attachment to the Slovene language, yet it is limited to the symbolic level, while the communicative function of Slovene is highly neglected and mostly limited to the family. In that environment, as much as 82 % still speak Slovene while the respondents generally speak Spanish (97 %) among themselves. However, it is important to appreciate the incalculable value of its symbolic role as the Slovene language presents the bond of the SPE descendants with the Slovene culture. It could be stated that for them, the Slovene language is the Slovene culture.The Slovene language remains to this day respected and appreciated among the SPE descendants. Being aware of its value with regard to the future existence of the community, they still learn the language. Admittedly its communicative function is limited, yet for the young, it presents a point of identification i.e. the essence of being Slovene. A number of answers confirmed the role of the Slovene language as the main identification element. Although the questions might have been rather complicated for the young between 12 and 14, the majority of the answers were unambiguous and very importantly, written in very good Slovene.It can be claimed that the Slovene language is a major ethnic identity element for the representatives of the third and forth generations of SPE. Their straightforward plans to keep preserving the Slovene language (74 % intend to continue learning Slovene), together with the majority (94 %) intending to pass the language to their own children, show the awareness of the young towards the (symbolic) role of the language. For the majority of them, the language remains the bond with the mother country of their parents and in symbolic value, it highly precedes the Spanish language which is only the language of their native country.Besedilo ugotavlja vpliv slovenskega jezika na oblikovanje etnične identitete pri tretji in četrti generaciji slovenskih političnih emigrantov (SPE) v Argentini, katere posebnost je (bila) homogena zaprtost pred tujimi, argentinskimi vplivi. Tako je tudi z jezikom. S pomočjo visoke kulturne ozaveščenosti in naslanjanja na tradicijo slovenske folklore so se oblikovala kulturna društva, kjer se je ustvarjalo, a ravno tako govorilo le v slovenskem jeziku – vsaka kršitev zoper ta pravila je bila deležna strogih moralnih obtožb.Naša raziskava, ki je bila opravljena aprila 2006 na podlagi anket med učenci v sobotnih šolah slovenskega jezika in med dijaki slovenskega maturitetnega tečaja v Buenos Airesu, je kot predmet obravnave vzela tretjo in četrto generacijo SPE, ki je, v nasprotju s svojimi (starimi) starši, že močno inkulturirana in do slovenskega jezika goji močno čustveno navezanost le na simbolni ravni, medtem ko je komunikacijska funkcija slovenščine že močno zapostavljena in omejena večinoma na družinsko okolje, kjer slovensko govori 82 % vprašanih, medtem ko se vprašani med seboj pogovarjajo večinoma v španščini (97 %). Vendar moramo vedeti, da je tudi simbolna vloga slovenskega jezika neprecenljive vrednosti, kajti jezik med potomci SPE predstavlja vez s slovensko kulturo oziroma je sinonim zanjo.Slovenski jezik je danes tudi med mladimi, potomci SPE, spoštovan, cenjen. Zavedajo se njegove vrednosti za obstoj skupnosti tudi v prihodnosti in se ga učijo. Res, da je njegova sporazumevalna funkcija okrnjena, ampak mladi se z njim identificirajo in jim pomeni bistvo slovenstva. Množica odgovorov je potrjevala vlogo slovenskega jezika kot glavnega identifikacijskega elementa pri vprašanju slovenstva, in čeprav so bila vprašanja mogoče malo pretežka za starostno skupino od 12 do 14 let, je bila večina odgovorov jasnih in, kar ni zanemarljivo, napisanih v dobri slovenščini.Rečemo lahko, da je slovenski jezik med pripadniki tretje in četrte generacije SPE bistven element njihove etnične identitete. Z jasnimi cilji pri ohranjanju slovenskega jezika še v naprej (74 % vprašanih se bo še naprej učilo slovensko), večina bo tudi svoje otroke učila slovenščino (98 %), se tudi mladi zavedajo njegove (simbolne) vloge. Jezik ostaja za večino vez z domovino njihovih starih staršev in je s simbolnega stališča precej pred španskih jezikom, ki je le jezik njihove domovine