Generational Differences and Language Shift in Contemporary Urban Settings: A Sociolinguistic Analysis

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between generational differences and language shift in contemporary urban environments, where rapid demographic mobility, multilingual contact, and digital communication have intensified intergenerational divergence in linguistic behaviour. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of language shift, the apparent-time construct, social network theory, and the ethnolinguistic vitality model, the study argues that the city functions as a primary engine of linguistic change because it concentrates speakers of differing ages, origins, and communicative repertoires in dense, fluid contact. The analysis surveys empirical evidence indicating that younger urban cohorts frequently lead in adopting prestige varieties, code-switching practices, and innovative features, while older cohorts often serve as custodians of heritage and minority languages. It further considers the mediating roles of attitudes, identity, education, and digital media, and reflects critically on the methodological challenges of distinguishing genuine generational change from age-grading. The paper concludes that generational stratification is not merely a by-product of urbanisation but a structural mechanism through which language maintenance, attrition, and shift are negotiated, with significant implications for language policy and minority-language preservation.