The Sociopolitical Dynamics of Indigenous Language Maintenance and Loss

Author(s):  
Kathryn A. Davis
Author(s):  
Yan Marquis ◽  
Julia Sallabank

This chapter examines language ideologies in a small community (Guernsey, Channel Islands) which reflect wider issues concerning the aims and effectiveness of language-related activities. Ideologies are largely unstated yet they profoundly influence language planning and policy at both personal and public levels. Although there has been a shift over the last 30 or so years towards broadly positive overt attitudes in favour of maintenance of Guernsey’s indigenous language, it seems that ingrained covert negative attitudes linger in some sections of the community. From these observations the authors identify two main divergent trends in beliefs and ideologies concerning who has authority to speak on behalf of ‘the community’, and to make decisions regarding the future of an endangered language. The authors relate their observations to the concept of prior ideological clarification, and compare rhetoric on language maintenance and revitalization with actions and outcomes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramón Antonio Martínez ◽  
Melisa Mesinas

This article explores Indigenous Mexican mothers’ perspectives on multilingualism and Indigenous language maintenance in their children’s lives. Drawing on interview data from a larger qualitative study of language and ideology among multilingual children in Los Angeles, California, the article examines the perspectives of four Zapotec mothers who have children in a local public school with a Spanish-English dual language program. The interview data highlight what these women think and do with respect to the maintenance of the Zapotec language in the lives of their school-aged children. Critical Latinx Indigeneities and the feminist notion of linguistic motherwork are used to highlight the intersectional nature of these women’s efforts to construct and sustain indigeneity in diaspora. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 166-180
Author(s):  
Grace A. Gomashie ◽  
Roland Terborg

Abstract Scales or measurements of vitality propose various factors to assess the degree of endangerment of a language. Using these measurements offers important insights into the maintenance of a language and identifies the areas in need of support. The current study employed seven scales to assess the vitality of Nahuatl in the language community of Puebla, Mexico. Data on the selected vitality indicators, absolute speaker population, and intergenerational language transmission were collected through questionnaires on linguistic knowledge and home language use. Results showed that five out of the seven scales characterized Nahuatl as not at an immediate risk of endangerment as it had speakers in all age groups and was spoken at home by them. However, there was need for more emphasis on transmitting Nahuatl to the younger generations who made up the majority of the non-Nahuatl speaker population and were more likely to use Spanish than Nahuatl. The approach taken by this study will be of value when assessing other communities facing language endangerment and seeking language maintenance and revitalization.


Author(s):  
Dedi Aprianto

Conveniently, human language could be taken into consideration as a worth property at outset belonged to the whole man. It has been comprising a proper way for conveying thoughts, expression, and aims as well. A particular language is not only regarded as a national one but as a personal identity of nation. Thus, a language might articulate a given identity belonging to society such as way of speech and way of thinking. The presence of different way of talking is resulted by the different social background. Moreover, it is regarded as part of the groups existing in a community having sameness in terms of synchronic participation to produce a common language. In relevance to language as marvelous identity in which set of each human ought to be maintained through Education, language Policies, and language improvement. A nation might be considered as being progressive while possessing a particular language representing a typical and fervent identity. Having had fervent idealized identity, a nation could have been led to flourishing one in terms of expancement through a national language as well as ethnic language maintenance. In line with social changes passing in capacious social aspects which trigger towards human language as social, economy, politic, and culture. These social aspects of life could have been affected by unawareness of national language maintenance. Thus, the writer puts forward social change in terms of language shift to language death. A national language is considered as a identity symbolizing the existence of it, signifying the unite of folk, and triggering towards progressive traits of nation. In case of indigenous language lies on paramount role in terms of national aims due to the fact that aboriginal language belonging to societies can signifies its identity as well as represents the culture. A common type of language ideology are standard language ideologies, the belief that language homogeneity is beneficial to society to construct interconnection in the hope that they may properly make language live. Thus, the expancement of national language as well as indigenous language would be increasingly wide-spread towards national Advancement.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-230
Author(s):  
Stefano Manfredi ◽  
Mauro Tosco

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