A.P. Skovorodnikov’s binary conception of linguistic ecology: definitional and disciplinary justifications

Abstract

The following article considers the conception of linguistic ecology developed by Russian scholar Aleksandr Petrovich Skovorodnikov, as a binary process based on his observations of positive and negative factors influencing language development that retard the creation of language methods to improve oral communication. Past scholarship concerns center on conflicting descriptions of and cross-disciplinary justifications for the field of linguistic ecology, particularly definitional issues, the systematization of various concepts and terms, and specifications for the range of research techniques. The article argues that Skovorodnikov attempts to rectify these issues that lead toward the legitimization of linguistic ecology as an autonomous cross-disciplinary field of Russian linguistic research, and his conceptions and theories contribute a strong voice toward the international language ecology conversation.