Pronunciation-focused sociolinguistic features of bilingual Russians who speak Turkish

This study aims to examine the Turkish pronunciation processes of Turkish–Russian bilingual individuals living in Alanya from a sociolinguistic perspective. In recent years, Alanya has become a region where multilingualism and language contact are intensively observed due to increasing migration movements. In this context, the ways in which the resident Russian-speaking population learns and uses Turkish were evaluated through pronunciation features. The research was designed using a qualitative research approach, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observation notes, and natural speech recordings. The collected data were analyzed within the framework of Lars Johanson's code-copying theory and sociolinguistic variables. The findings of the study reveal that various transfer features specific to the phonological structure of Russian are observed in the Turkish pronunciation of bilingual individuals. In addition, participants' frequency of Turkish use, social environments, length of residence in Turkey, levels of cultural adaptation, and motivation toward the target language affect pronunciation accuracy. It was found that the intensity of social interaction and positive attitudes toward Turkish contribute to pronunciation development; however, intensive interaction within Russian-speaking social environments can slow down the development of Turkish pronunciation. Furthermore, examples of code copying and code switching were identified in participants' speech, indicating that bilingualism is a dynamic process. By addressing the pronunciation dimension of Turkish–Russian bilingualism within a sociolinguistic context, this study contributes to the bilingualism literature. The findings provide important implications for practitioners in terms of teaching Turkish as a foreign language, language policies for migrant communities, and supporting multilingual individuals. Keywords: bilingualism; code switching; pronunciation; sociolinguistics; teaching Turkish as a foreign language