The study analyses the linguistic attitudes of upper secondary school students toward the Lithuanian language, based on quantitative data collected in Lithuanian schools during the 2023–2024 academic year. A questionnaire grounded in ethnolinguistic vitality theory was employed to identify the attitudes influencing the linguistic preferences of youth and to analyse tendencies in the evolution of collective linguistic identity, influenced by the tension between pragmatic value and emotional relation to the language. Attitudes toward the Lithuanian language were examined according to language vitality criteria across several aspects: the perceived strength of Lithuanian, its pragmatic value and social status. The results indicate that proficiency in Lithuanian has relatively low pragmatic value but high social status in society, as correct Lithuanian is traditionally associated with higher educational attainment. Perceptions of linguistic resources and the level of confidence in the use of Lithuanian are primary drivers of both language change and language use preferences. Across the analysed linguistic attitudes, Lithuanian is perceived least positively in terms of modernity. Most students report that they can express themselves best in Lithuanian, however, fewer than half consider the language modern. The most positive attitudes are aesthetic, with students regarding Lithuanian as a beautiful language. The findings confirm an association between perceptions of the Lithuanian language and perceptions of the regional dialect. Aesthetic and intuitive perceptions of Lithuanian and of the regional dialect indicate an emotional relation to the language and to the ethnic community.
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