Abstract:

In this research, it was aimed to develop a scale to measure language loyalty of bilingual individuals that live as an immigrant and minority to Turkish. Two separate study groups were established for exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Participants in the first study group (180 individuals), were selected from the Ahiska Turks who took refuge in Turkey from conflicts east of Ukraine in 2016. And participants in the second study group (274 individuals), were selected from Ahiska Turks living in Kazakhstan. A 32-item draft measurement tool was tested with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. As a result of the exploratory factor analysis, a structure of 24 items consisting of three factors is developed. The declared total variance amount is determined as %49,069. The first factor (maintenance) describes 34,164% of the total variance, the second factor (identity) accounts for 8,953% of the total variance, and the third factor (usage) stands for 5,951% of the total variance. Subsequently, reliability analyses were conducted for the determined items and factors. In this context, Cronbach's Alpha internal consistency coefficients are calculated in terms of the items included in both the scale and the factors. The Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient for the scale was calculated as 0.90. Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient for the factors of the scale was 0.89 for the first factor (maintenance); 0.87 for the second factor (identity); and the third factor (usage) is 0.57. The total item correlation calculated by Pearson's analysis was significant (p <.001); the analyses calculated via t-test (upper-upper 27%) indicated that the items and factors were discriminant. It was found that the fit index values obtained for confirming the model by confirmatory factor analysis following the exploratory factor analysis were within the acceptable limit values. These results show that "Turkish Language Loyalty Scale" is a valid and reliable measurement tool for determining the language loyalties of Turkish-speaking bilingual Turks living as immigrants and minorities.

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