LANGUAGE CONTACT, VARIATION, AND CHANGE. Jussi Niemi, Terence Odlin, and Janne Heikkinen (Eds.). Joensuu, Finland: University of Joensuu, 1998. Pp. 286.

2000 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 602-602
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Winkler
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Contact ◽  
Summer School ◽  
Endangered Languages ◽  
Language Diversity ◽  
Language Death

The chapters of this book come from the 1997 Finnish Conference on Linguistics and the Scandinavian Summer School on Language Diversity. A number of the contributions focus on endangered languages, in particular, Ingrian Finnish. Hallamaa discusses developing appropriate methodologies to study endangered languages and evaluate individual language proficiency. Chapters by Koko and Riionheimo describe the loss of Ingrian through shift to Estonian. Ingrian is, again, the topic for Savijiirvi, who compares and provides a detailed sociohistory of four Balto-Finnic languages: Votian, Ingrian, Estonian, and Finnish. Duray writes about language death, focusing on the extralinguistic factors that have caused a community-wide shift to Russian by the Nganasan-speaking people.

scholarly journals DEAD WORDS OF MINANGKABAUNESE USED IN BASA AMPEK BALAI TAPAN

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oca Wulandari ◽  
Jufrizal Jufrizal
Keyword(s):  
Language Contact ◽  
Endangered Languages ◽  
Word Class ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Language Death ◽  
Day By Day

 Tapan dialect is one of dialect of Minangkabaunese in Tapan. There are so many dead words or words that been forgotten by Tapan society nowaday. Words that are no longer used or dead words that happen day by day can make language death happen. This paper explains the causes of dead words in Basa Ampek Balai Tapan subdistrict and explain the word class of those dead words. According to the result of analysis it can be concluded that there are many factors that causes dead words occur in Basa Ampek Balai Tapan dialect, Pesisir Selatan regency such as language contact, the influence of globalization, feel proud of using lingua franca, the objects do not exist anyomore, less care on their own dialect and the words sound impolite to hear.This paper agrees that endangered languages are worth saving so we need to be aware about many factors contribute to language death.Keywords : dead words, dead language, dialect, Minangkabaunese 

Beyond Global Englishes: Teaching English as a Dynamic Language

RELC Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmar Mahboob
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Language Variation ◽  
World Englishes ◽  
Endangered Languages ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Economic Implications ◽  
Dynamic Language ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Further Development

Currently, a growing number of teaching approaches focus on aspects of variation in language (e.g. English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), World Englishes, English for Specific Purposes (ESP), genre theories, etc.); however, each of these approaches tends to focus on particular (specific) aspects of language variation and do not fully account for the range or dynamicity of linguistic variations. This article, based on a discussion of language variation, proposes a model of language proficiency that considers the dynamic nature of language variation and is not dependent on static (native-speaker defined) norms of language. Using the Dynamic Approach to Language Proficiency as a model of language proficiency and grounded in understandings of language variation, this article introduces the concept of Teaching English as a Dynamic Language (TEDL). The article includes evidence for the need to develop such a model and also points out ways in which current and future work can contribute to further development of this approach. Finally, the article also identifies some socio-economic implications of this work and explicitly supports the need to recognize and empower local (including endangered) languages through TEDL.

scholarly journals Turkish-Dutch bilinguals maintain language-specific reference tracking strategies in elicited narratives

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 376-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeynep Azar ◽  
Aslı Özyürek ◽  
Ad Backus
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Contact ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Heritage Speakers ◽  
Mixed Effect ◽  
Reference Tracking ◽  
Null Pronouns ◽  
Overt Pronouns

Aim: This paper examines whether second-generation Turkish heritage speakers in the Netherlands follow language-specific patterns of reference tracking in Turkish and Dutch, focusing on discourse status and pragmatic contexts as factors that may modulate the choice of referring expressions (REs), that is, the noun phrase (NP), overt pronoun and null pronoun. Methodology: Two short silent videos were used to elicit narratives from 20 heritage speakers of Turkish, both in Turkish and in Dutch. Monolingual baseline data were collected from 20 monolingually raised speakers of Turkish in Turkey and 20 monolingually raised speakers of Dutch in the Netherlands. We also collected language background data from bilinguals with an extensive survey. Data and analysis: Using generalised logistic mixed-effect regression, we analysed the influence of discourse status and pragmatic context on the choice of subject REs in Turkish and Dutch, comparing bilingual data to the monolingual baseline in each language. Findings: Heritage speakers used overt versus null pronouns in Turkish and stressed versus reduced pronouns in Dutch in pragmatically appropriate contexts. There was, however, a slight increase in the proportions of overt pronouns as opposed to NPs in Turkish and as opposed to null pronouns in Dutch. We suggest an explanation based on the degree of entrenchment of differential RE types in relation to discourse status as the possible source of the increase. Originality: This paper provides data from an understudied language pair in the domain of reference tracking in language contact situations. Unlike several studies of pronouns in language contact, we do not find differences across monolingual and bilingual speakers with regard to pragmatic constraints on overt pronouns in the minority pro-drop language. Significance: Our findings highlight the importance of taking language proficiency and use into account while studying bilingualism and combining formal approaches to language use with usage-based approaches for a more complete understanding of bilingual language production.

scholarly journals Competing priorities: Student perceptions of helps and hindrances to language acquisition during study abroad

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcie J. Pyper ◽  
Cynthia Slagter
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Contact ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Competing Priorities

Multiple studies have investigated the effect of language contact on language proficiency, testing the assumption that the study abroad context means greater contact with the target language (L2).  Other studies have examined the context of L2 interactions, considering host families, contact with community members, and interactions with non-native-speaking peers. While these studies are helpful, larger scales studies are needed to determine how students are interacting with native and non-native speakers during study abroad.  The current study examines student perceptions of helps and hindrances to L2 gain during semester-long study abroad of more than 100 students studying Spanish in Spain, Honduras, and Peru. Participants completed surveys patterned after the Language Contact Profile of Freed, Dewey, Segalowitz, and Halter (2004) and took the Versant Language Test before and after their study abroad experience. They also participated in a post-program interview which was subsequently transcribed, encoded and analyzed.  Results suggest that students experience competing priorities in decisions governing L1 vs L2 use and that student intentionality is key to successful language learning.

Task-based Pedagogies in Iran: The Relationship between Oracy and Literacy

RELC Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 412-426
Author(s):  
Elahe Shakhsi Dastgahian ◽  
Marianne Turner ◽  
Janet Scull
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Summer School ◽  
English Language ◽  
Literacy Practices ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Classroom Context ◽  
English Language Teachers

Despite the recent emphasis on oral English language proficiency in the Iranian education system, the teaching of oral communication remains a challenge for secondary school English language teachers. In this article, we suggest that this, in part, relates to the continued emphasis on literacy practices. The article explores the approach taken by three Iranian junior high school English language teachers to teaching oracy during a summer school task-based intervention. Data were gathered through observations and interviews, and third generation activity theory from Engeström (1996; Engeström 2001) was used to analyse teachers’ practices. Findings revealed that, while trialling aspects of task-based pedagogies, the teachers’ attention to oracy increased. However, they retained a strong traditional focus on literacy teaching, which had an effect on their approach to oracy and also appeared to constrain their movement towards less-controlled spoken language. This small-scale study offers insights into approaches to oracy teaching while employing task-based pedagogies in foreign language contexts like Iran. In this context, English literacy has been the historical focus, the Roman alphabet is new for the students, and there is often limited exposure to oracy practices outside the classroom context (Sadeghi and Richards, 2015).

Language Shift and Maintenance in Uttarakhand, a Hilly State of India

2021 ◽  
pp. 229-244
Author(s):  
Kavita Rastogi ◽  
Madri Kakoti
Keyword(s):  
Language Contact ◽  
Language Shift ◽  
The State ◽  
Home Front ◽  
The Other ◽  
Endangered Languages ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Religious Activities ◽  
Official Languages ◽  
At Home

Several lesser known and tribal languages of India are rapidly choosing to shift to local and official languages in educational, social, and even personal domains. This preference of the ‘other' language is aided by social, political, and economic factors that often devise the ‘other' as dominant. This chapter looks at the extent of language shift with respect to two communities living in the state of Uttarakhand in India and speaking respectively named endangered languages, Jad and Raji, in the light of these factors. The authors examine how language contact that is causal in language shift is changing their linguistic make up. In the Jad community, Hindi and Garhwali are the major dominating languages, and their presence can be seen in all the domains (100% in education, 35% in religious activities, and even 25% at home). In the Raji community, the usurping languages are Kumaoni and Hindi, and their presence in education is 100%, in religious activities is 45%, and 35% at the home front.

The Interaction Between Type of Contact and Type of Instruction: Some Effects on the L2 Proficiency of Adult Learners

1986 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Spada
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Adult Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Language Contact ◽  
Combined Effects ◽  
L2 Proficiency ◽  
Second Language Proficiency ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Class Room

This paper reports the results of a study which investigated (a) the separate effects that differences in learners' contact can have on various aspects of proficiency, and (b) the combined effects that differences in informal contact and instructional variation can have on improvement in proficiency. Forty-eight adult learners from three intermediate-level ESL classes participated in the study.To measure differences in learners' informal contact, a language contact questionnaire was administered. The results revealed both quantitative and qualitative differences in learners' out-of-class contact with the second language. When these differences were examined in relation to learners' performance on seven proficiency measures, correlational analysis revealed that while learners' performance on some measures was related to differences in amount of contact, it was related on other measures to differences in type of contact.To determine whether differences in contact interacted with instructional variation to produce differences in improvement in proficiency, learners' pre-and post-test scores were examined in relation to contact and class in an analysis of co-variance. The results indicated that learners' informal contact interacted with differences in instruction to produce variation in improvement on two proficiency measures.The findings are discussed in relation to the need for more class-room-centered research to investigate both the separate and combined effects of learner and instructional variables on second language proficiency.

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