scholarly journals Καλημέρα, kalimera or kalhmera?

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 224-262
Author(s):  
Evgenia Mouresioti ◽  
Marina Terkourafi

Abstract Although language attitudes are frequently investigated, how these attitudes change over time is studied less frequently, despite providing an interesting window into the link between attitudes and ideologies. Conducted some twenty years since the first studies on this topic, the current study provides an updated perspective into language attitudes toward the use of Roman-alphabeted Greek (henceforth, Greeklish) in emails and SMS messages exchanged between Greek native speakers. Adapting the matched guise methodology commonly used in language attitude research to visual stimuli, we collected data from 60 participants of different ages and genders. Overall, their attitudes toward Greeklish were markedly negative, confirming negative attitudes already expressed twenty years prior but also extending them. We propose that technological and demographic but also ideological factors underlie the negative attitudes toward Greeklish expressed by Greek native speakers today.

KIRYOKU ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Reny Wiyatasari

(Title: Language Attitudes Of The Speakers Of Uchinaguchi Dialect,  Shimakutuba Language In Okinawa Prefekture) This study aims to determine the language attitude of the speakers of the Uchinaguchi dialect, one of the dialects in Shimakutuba which is the language used in the Okinawa islands. Shimakutuba is one of the languages in the world set by UNESCO as an endangered language. Because the theme of this research is focused on language attitudes which is one of the topics in sociolinguistic studies, the data are collected using the questionnaire method through distributing questionnaires to respondents who are considered representative representing the research population and also using literature study methods. Then the data were analyzed using descriptive methods. Based on the results of the questionnaire, it was found that the language attitude shown by speakers of Shimakutuba was divided into two, namely positive attitudes and negative attitudes. A positive attitude consists of positive active and positive passivity.


2013 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Uwe Kjær Nissen

During the last three decades, many recommendations for a gender fair Spanish language have been proposed, but, generally speaking, it has been the substitution of the so-called 'masculine generic' (e.g. los profesores 'the teachers [masc.]') by gender neutral (e.g. el pro¬fesorado 'the staff of teachers) or explicit references (e.g. los profesores y (las) profesoras 'the teachers [masc. and fem., resp.]') which has been favoured. Two important assumptions are implicit in these recommendations. First, the sentences containing the masculine forms would lead to associations primarily to men (thus leaving women 'invisible'), whereas sentences containing either the gender-neutral forms or the gender-explicit references would evoke a generic association. Second, the associations between form and mental representation are considered inalterable and unlikely to change over time. This paper intends to interrogate these assumptions by means of two questionnaire investigations that were carried out in Spain in 1995 and 2005 in which native speakers of Spanish were asked to complete specific filler sentences. The results of both investigations demonstrate that there is no clear-cut correspondence between certain linguistic forms and the mental (gender-) representations evoked in peoples' minds. For example, a masculine form is not automatically connected with a male image. The investigation also shows that some associations significantly change over time; for example, a clear male bias of the masculine form in the first study seems to have vanished within a time span of ten years. With respect to another aim of the gender fair recommendations - namely to make women more visible in public discourse – the investigations show that this, indeed, is best achieved by explicitly referring to women. Interestingly, this result appears to be stable over time. Altogether, it seems justifiable to conclude that the assumptions underlying the recommendations for a gender fair language can be challenged. At any rate, it is important to point out that these assumptions are subject to change over time - at least within politically influenced language matters – and perhaps faster than has been expected.


2015 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 393-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Denecker

Jerome of Stridon and Sidonius Apollinaris, two authors particularly sensitive to languages and linguistic differences, frequently evaluate the correctness, adequacy, and aesthetic qualities of ‘classical’ Latin on the one hand, and of ‘foreign’ or ‘barbarian’ languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, or ‘Germanic’) on the other. They also evaluate variation within the Latin language, mostly in a negative way. In this paper, I look at Jerome’s and Sidonius’ evaluative statements about languages and language varieties from the sociolinguistic perspective of language attitude research. I start by defining the concepts of ‘language attitude’ and ‘social connotations hypothesis’, and then proceed to the analysis of linguistic evaluations in Jerome’s and Sidonius’ works. In accordance with the social connotations hypothesis, I argue that these evaluations about languages or language varieties are strongly biased by the socio-cultural stereotypes the authors hold about the speakers of these languages or language varieties.


Author(s):  
Laila Alhazmi ◽  
Hanady Alfalig

Language attitude research uncovers perceptions about the diversity of languages and dialects. It follows how such diversity is stereotypically perceived, which influences the usage of dialects among people. Therefore, diverse contexts, such as Saudi Arabia, necessitate research attention to reveal how stereotypes Saudis hold towards their dialects might affect their usage. Little research has focused on the broad language attitudes in Saudi Arabia, and none of the previous studies have identified the major language attitudes in the region using keyword technique. Using an open-ended questionnaire, the present study identifies the major attitudes regarding the main dialects in the country: Central, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western dialects. The names of the dialects were represented conceptually in the questionnaire. Seventy-eight participants were recruited for the study. First, they were asked to write down their first impressions of Saudi dialects. Second, they were asked to name the most dominant spoken dialect. Eight evaluative themes emerged from the study: affective positive, affective negative, linguistic features, awareness of language variation, cultural association, geographical association, tradition and modernity. Each of them reflects vivid stereotypical suppositions of the dialects. Furthermore, 68% of participants perceived Najdi as the most dominant dialect in Saudi Arabia. KEYWORDS Sociolinguistics, language attitudes, perceptions, stereotype, evaluative profiles, Saudi Arabia


2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 429-461
Author(s):  
Laura Rosseel ◽  
Dirk Speelman ◽  
Dirk Geeraerts

AbstractAfter decades of relative methodological stagnation, language attitude research is witnessing an influx of new experimental methods originally developed in social psychology. One such measure is the Personalized Implicit Association Test (P-IAT), a reaction-time-based method that measures the association between two concepts. The P-IAT has been used successfully to measure language attitudes, yet presents a number of challenges, like the fact that it measures attitudes void of linguistic or interactional context. This article aims to address that challenge and introduces a contextualized version of the P-IAT, which was used alongside an explicit measurement to explore attitudes towards varieties of Dutch in formal vs. informal settings. While the explicit attitudes show the expected pattern of preference for the standard variety in formal contexts, results from the implicit measurement are not as clear-cut. We discuss potential explanations for these findings and reflect on consequences for future sociolinguistic research using the P-IAT. (Personalized Implicit Association Test (P-IAT), context dependence of language attitudes, sociolinguistics)*


2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunsheng Yang

This study examines the language attitudes of young professionals in three cities in China towards Northeastern Mandarin (NEM) and Putonghua (PTH) (i.e., the standard language in China). It confirms that NEM has lower status as compared to PTH. However, the young professionals in Northeast China rated the NEM speaker higher than the PTH speaker in most qualities, attesting to the empathy and solidarity of native speakers toward their own variety of language. The northeastern professionals also rated the NEM speaker lower in some personal qualities, implying that the northeastern professionals’ awareness of the stereotypes associated with NEM and the prestige associated with PTH. The findings show that language attitude is directly linked to socio-economic status and that speakers of the low variety of a language may develop complicated language attitudes when negotiating their language use and identity in social interaction.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-350
Author(s):  
Sebastianus Menggo ◽  
I Made Suastra

This study examines the language maintenance model for a local language in another language community, specifically to examine Sumbawanese language maintenance in the Balinese community. This study encompasses 1) the Sumbawanese speakers’ competence of Sumbawanese language; 2) Sumbawanese language use patterns in the Balinese community; 3) language attitudes of Sumbawanese speakers toward their language. This study focuses on Denpasar's several locations, where most of the language interaction occurred, and data were collected through observation, interviews, and questionnaires. Those data were analyzed by using a software program, namely an excel chart data series. The research subjects were both older and younger Sumbawanese speakers. An analysis of language attitudes also considered the roles of language choice and language change in maintaining cultural diversity and ethnic identity, which will psychologically provide a feeling of assurance in personal linguistic competence. In Sumbawanese speakers, the context of communicating in Balinese society will be thoroughly considered. The findings show that speakers of Sumbawa language have good competence towards Sumbawa language, rarely use Sumbawa language, and have more positive than negative attitudes towards their language. Speakers are stimulated to maintain the frequency of language use and their positive language attitudes to be competent intercultural speakers.  Keywords: Balinese, language use, language attitude, language change, Sumbawanese


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (49) ◽  
pp. 11-29
Author(s):  
Vlada V. Baranova ◽  
◽  

The paper focuses on discussions of partial linguistic competence and on sources of language knowledge among both Kalmyk language activists and the community of native speakers. Recent revivalist initiatives lead to the emergence of “new speakers” of minority languages whose language command is widely discussed within the community. The native speakers of a minority language may create some barriers for new speakers and evaluate their way of speaking as an inauthentic, “wrong” code. The paper deals with different sources of competence in Kalmyk: projects for teaching and learning Kalmyk, attempts to popularize it and the ethnic culture, and online communities for mothers who make the conscious decision to adopt native language practices with their children. These new sources of non-traditional knowledge are compared with other modes of language acquisition. The paper aims to analyze attitudes to a language by “new speakers”. From this point of view, the Kalmyk-speaking community displays ambiguous attitudes: there are negative attitudes toward the accents of new speakers, as well as toward the linguistic competence of the younger generation in a family. That said, there exist strongly positive evaluations of different activist initiatives, including treating the instances of mixed language as a kind of humor. The data shows that there is no strong demarcation between language acquisition in the family and other ways of learning Kalmyk.


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