Language and ethnicity are known to be closely linked (Giles & Coupland 1991). However, before analyzing the relationships between language and ethnicity, I was confronted with the problem of identifying the very concept of “ethnicity”. Thus, Fishman (1997: 327) emphasizes that "ethnicity", like other notions with which it is closely associated, namely "race", "people", "nation", "nationality", is not “an accurate scientific term”. . Therefore, it is not clearly defined and is therefore open to interpretations (Ibid). In my research, I came across a number of rather fashionable explanations, and the most common aggregate dictionary definition for "ethnicity" is "membership in a particular social group that has a national tradition or common cultural” (MacMillan Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, etc.). The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy distinguishes and includes language in the definition of ethnicity saying that it is "an identity or membership in a particular racial, national or cultural group and respect for customs , beliefs and language of this group. However, is language always an inevitable part of a person's ethnicity or a group's ethnicity? Undoubtedly, the most understandable case of interrelation between language and ethnicity is where a person is born and lives in a specific territory which historically had a dominant ethnicity and a dominant language, such that ethnicity is predetermined by a close link between language and territory (Fishman 1997). Thus, Tabouret-Keller (1997) gives the example of a schoolboy from Belize who identifies as Belizean because he was born in that country, lives there and is also a native speaker of his Creole language. But there are two other cases where the interrelationship between ethnicity and...... middle of article......n ????). In fact, Wikipedia even has a separate entry for "American ethnicity" which is supposed to be different from citizenship of nationality. Data from the 2000 U.S. Census showed the growing number of those who identify as Americans. Additionally, this increase represents the largest population growth compared to any other ethnic group in the United States (Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_ethnicity). However, it is important to remember that language is an important element. of ethnic origin. However, like any other component of ethnicity, "it may be perceived and treated differently in analysis and classification" (Jenkins): for many ethnic minority groups, language has been found to be the cornerstone of their vitality, but for countries like Canada it is rather an optional characteristic in the formulation of modern ethnicity.