Language and identity in Turkey

Abstract

Globalisation has significantly altered perceptions of language and identity. However, some communities resist emerging language practices and their identity connotations. This paper examines how university students in Turkey navigate their national, ethnic, religious, and linguistic identities amidst globalisation and language commodification. Drawing on interview data, classroom observations, and field notes, we analyse 70 students' language attitudes and practices through a framework combining symbolic capital, chronotope, and identity. Findings show a robust reproduction of Turkish national and religious identities through language use and resistance to the cultural implications of English, even among non-Turkish individuals. The symbolic value of the Turkish language emerges as a resilient identity element against potential transitions, shaped by chronotopic positioning. The study contributes to sociolinguistic research by demonstrating how language value is recalibrated across time-space configurations in higher education settings.