Non-native speaking children in St. Petersburg school: stereotypes and reality (based on sociolinguistic study)

Abstract

The article deals with the problems of educating young non-native Russian speakers in St. Petersburg schools and teachers’ prejudices against them. Emergence of a great number of children whose first language is other than Russian in schools during past 10–15 years is a result of migration to St. Petersburg from former Soviet Union countries. Public opinion is rather strict on «newcomers», and it seems that school teachers share this negative attitudes towards migrants and necessity to educate their children in «ordinary» school. Actually as our study reveals real situation in schools differs from stereotypes popular in public discourse. Using sociolinguistic methods we investigate teachers’ attitudes towards non-Russian pupils and show possible ways of applying linguistic approach to social issues.