This presentation details a pilot ethnographic study laying the groundwork for an MA thesis on multilingual repertoires among Tajik-speaking university youth in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Initial observations point to a complex linguistic hierarchy and suggest a tentative contrast in language strategies: while urban-native students report using contextual cues for language choice (between Uzbek, Russian, or Tajik), rural-origin peers often describe a default use of Tajik. The discussion will focus on these preliminary patterns and the refined methodology (using peer-group games and public tasks) developed for the main study. This work aims to contribute an interactional perspective on the understudied sociolinguistics of contemporary Samarkand Tajik. We welcome suggestions and discussion on refining this methodological approach.

Daniel Carrasco Bascuñán is a Master's student in the Linguistic Theory and Fieldwork programme at the School of Linguistics, HSE University.