Language use and attitudes toward Kaqchikel and Spanish in San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (266) ◽  
pp. 95-120
Author(s):  
Tammy Jandrey Hertel ◽  
Hilary Barnes
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Language Maintenance ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Access To Education ◽  
Economic Opportunities ◽  
Bilingual Speakers ◽  
San Marcos ◽  
Language Maintenance And Shift

AbstractThis study focuses on the factors contributing to language maintenance and shift in the bilingual community of San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala, where both Spanish and Kaqchikel are spoken. For many decades, San Marcos was relatively isolated from other nearby communities and many speakers were monolingual in Kaqchikel. However, recent changes in the community, particularly a rise in tourism and access to education, have contributed to an increased need for Spanish. The present study draws from qualitative data collected from sociolinguistic interviews and participant observation to determine both the usage of Kaqchikel and Spanish in the community and the attitudes that bilingual speakers have toward both languages. Results demonstrate that Kaqchikel continues to be a marker of identity and cultural pride, but the economic opportunities Spanish provides result in more people using Spanish at work and home.

scholarly journals Immigrant Language Maintenance and Shift in the Gujarati, Dutch and Samoan Communities of Wellington

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Mary Lucy Roberts
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Language Maintenance ◽  
Policy Formation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Language Maintenance And Shift ◽  
History Of ◽  
Immigrant Language

<p>This thesis makes a contribution to the study of language maintenance and shift among New Zealand ethnic minority communities; it explores reasons for different rates of shift and different outcomes in relation to language maintenance in different communities; and the results are related to wide-ranging issues of New Zealand language policy. Research was undertaken in three minority immigrant groups in Wellington. The Gujarati community in Wellington is a major part of the Indian community totalling approximately 6,000 people at the time of the research; the Samoan community consisted of approximately 16,000 people, and the Dutch of 3,000. 141 members of the Gujarati community responded to questionnaires and interviews about themselves and their children, providing information on patterns of reported language proficiency, language use and attitudes to language maintenance from a total of 327 people. 184 Dutch respondents replied to a postal questionnaire about their own and their children's language knowledge, language usage patterns and attitudes to language maintenance, providing data on 412 people. 93 Samoan respondents filled out questionnaires and responded to interviews about themselves and their 133 children. Thus Information on a total of 965 New Zealanders belonging to minority immigrant communities was obtained. The data collected on patterns of language maintenance and shift is examined in the light of a wide range of language policy issues. The history of language and identity politics, minority immigration in New Zealand, and the immigration histories of the three groups are examined in detail, and the history of language and policy formation in New Zealand, is outlined and evaluated. The research focuses on the process of immigrant language maintenance and shift in the family and immediate community, and also investigates the role of language maintenance education in these processes. Information about language use processes in childhood and adulthood is presented. The Graded Intergeneration Disruption Stages scale, proposed by Joshua Fishman is tested against the information gathered on the three communities and found to be a useful heuristic device. The results of the research show that while processes of language maintenance and shift occur in all three communities, these processes take very different forms in each community, move at different speeds and. to date, have had very different outcomes. The reasons for the differences between the communities in these respects are examined in some detail. Finally, on the basis of the evidence provided by the research, language policy proposals are presented supporting the provision of government services in minority immigrant languages and indicating the advantages of state support for language maintenance education.</p>

Current Language Maintenance Research in Jordan

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 218
Author(s):  
Abdelkader M. Alshboul
Keyword(s):  
Language Use ◽  
Language Maintenance ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Macro Level ◽  
Complex Picture ◽  
Language Maintenance And Shift ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Level Analysis ◽  
The Way

<p>This paper investigates the methodology utilized in Jordanian language maintenance and shift research on six minorities including Chechens, Armenians, Gypsies, Druze, Circassian, and Kurds. It argues that the methodology has been based on the macro-level analysis that examined the role of a number of sociodemographic factors in the LMLS process. However, this analysis does not offer a complex picture of immigrants’ language use and attitudes. It is suggested in this paper that the micro level analysis should also be employed to illuminate the way language is negotiated and used. </p>

scholarly journals The impact of religion on language maintenance and shift

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seong Lin Ding ◽  
Kim Leng Goh
Keyword(s):  
Heritage Language ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Language Maintenance ◽  
Language Shift ◽  
Religious Institutions ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Heritage Language Maintenance ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Language Maintenance And Shift ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTThis article explores religious impact on language maintenance and language shift in two Hakka communities in Malaysia. While research has shown a trend towards language shift in these communities, whether religious institutions can play a role in heritage language maintenance remained unclear. The key findings are as follows: (i) language use patterns differ among various religious groups; (ii) this difference is due mainly to religious practices, that is, whether a heritage language is used as the ‘language of religion’; and (iii) most religious institutions, except Taoist temples and Basel churches, seem to fuel shifting. However, the tendency to move towards the ‘bi-language of religion’ threatens even the efforts of Basel churches. The study indicates interesting possibilities regarding religious impact but also shows, paradoxically, that the priority of Hakka-based religious institutions is to promote their religions, not to sustain the threatened heritage language. (Language maintenance, language shift, religious impact, Hakka Chinese community)*

scholarly journals Immigrant Language Maintenance and Shift in the Gujarati, Dutch and Samoan Communities of Wellington

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Mary Lucy Roberts
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Language Maintenance ◽  
Policy Formation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Language Maintenance And Shift ◽  
History Of ◽  
Immigrant Language

<p>This thesis makes a contribution to the study of language maintenance and shift among New Zealand ethnic minority communities; it explores reasons for different rates of shift and different outcomes in relation to language maintenance in different communities; and the results are related to wide-ranging issues of New Zealand language policy. Research was undertaken in three minority immigrant groups in Wellington. The Gujarati community in Wellington is a major part of the Indian community totalling approximately 6,000 people at the time of the research; the Samoan community consisted of approximately 16,000 people, and the Dutch of 3,000. 141 members of the Gujarati community responded to questionnaires and interviews about themselves and their children, providing information on patterns of reported language proficiency, language use and attitudes to language maintenance from a total of 327 people. 184 Dutch respondents replied to a postal questionnaire about their own and their children's language knowledge, language usage patterns and attitudes to language maintenance, providing data on 412 people. 93 Samoan respondents filled out questionnaires and responded to interviews about themselves and their 133 children. Thus Information on a total of 965 New Zealanders belonging to minority immigrant communities was obtained. The data collected on patterns of language maintenance and shift is examined in the light of a wide range of language policy issues. The history of language and identity politics, minority immigration in New Zealand, and the immigration histories of the three groups are examined in detail, and the history of language and policy formation in New Zealand, is outlined and evaluated. The research focuses on the process of immigrant language maintenance and shift in the family and immediate community, and also investigates the role of language maintenance education in these processes. Information about language use processes in childhood and adulthood is presented. The Graded Intergeneration Disruption Stages scale, proposed by Joshua Fishman is tested against the information gathered on the three communities and found to be a useful heuristic device. The results of the research show that while processes of language maintenance and shift occur in all three communities, these processes take very different forms in each community, move at different speeds and. to date, have had very different outcomes. The reasons for the differences between the communities in these respects are examined in some detail. Finally, on the basis of the evidence provided by the research, language policy proposals are presented supporting the provision of government services in minority immigrant languages and indicating the advantages of state support for language maintenance education.</p>

scholarly journals Between language maintenance and language shift: the Slovenian community in Italy today and tomorrow

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devan Jagodic
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Language Maintenance ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Minority Language ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Economic Organizations ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Language Maintenance And Shift ◽  
Linguistic Behaviour ◽  
Depth Interviews

The paper focuses on the processes of language maintenance and shift among the Slovenian community in north-eastern Italy, from both the present and future perspectives, and presents the results of two empirical studies. The first offers a quantitative analysis of the linguistic behaviour of the Slovenian community members, in order to provide information about the level of minority language maintenance or the gradual shift towards Italian. The intergenerational comparison brings into focus some divergences among two differentage groups and indicates the variables that cooperate to establish them.The second study explores the challenges that the Slovenian community must face in order to encourage the use of the minority language among non-Slovenian speakers. Relying on qualitative data obtained by a series of in-depth interviews with representatives of Slovenian political, cultural and economic organizations in Italy, the study aims to identify some possible strategies for the spread and promotion of the Slovenian language among the wider society.

scholarly journals PERGESERAN PEMAKAIAN TINGKAT TUTUR (BASA ALUS) BAHASA SASAK DI LOMBOK

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-185
Author(s):  
Sudirman Wilian ◽  
Baiq Nurul Husaini
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Family Members ◽  
The Other ◽  
Language Variety ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Bahasa Indonesia

This study is aimed at finding out the factors influencing the decreasing use of Base Sasak Alus (honorific Sasak language) among the youths in Sasak, Lombok. Based on the quantitative and qualitative data gained through survey, interview and participant observation over several villages near and out of the three regency-city cetnters of Lombok, it was found out that the average youth mastery of the Sasak honorific vocabularies is far from adequate, and for the other their competence in using and constructing Sasak speech level is also ‘poor’, their score being respectively 56,58 and 51,55.  There are some factors that are addressed to have triggered the decreasing use of the high language variety.  First and for most important, the inadequate transfer of Base Alus from parents and elder family members to children in the home domain causes the lack of exposure of the high language variety and lead to the minimum opportunity for teenagers to listen and practice the honorific vocabularies in their home and outside. Second, out of their home in their neighbouring environment and societies they rarely heard people speaking in such respectful form of language, except in very formal situation such as feast, religious gathering, village offices. Third, the encroachment of Bahasa Indonesia in almost every domain of language use also influence the teenagers to tend to use Bahasa Indonesia when talking to ‘stranggers’ who come to their town or village eventhough they are Sasaks.  Next is the change of value in marriage system for ‘noblemen’ family results in the loose system of the use of Base Alus. However, aristocrat families who consistently practice the use of the speech level among their family members, could contribute to the maintainance of the refined language much better, but their number is limited to the very small percentage of the ‘aristocrate’ family members themselves.

The dynamics of Spanish maintenance and shift in Arizona

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly R. Cashman
Keyword(s):  
Language Use ◽  
Language Maintenance ◽  
Spanish Language ◽  
Ethnolinguistic Vitality ◽  
Sociopolitical Context ◽  
Language Maintenance And Shift

Within the discussion of the dynamics of Spanish language maintenance and shift to English in the southwestern U.S., this article takes a magnifying glass to one Southwest state in particular, Arizona, and the societal pressures that impact language maintenance and shift. Rather than focus on speakers’ language use across domains or attitudes about Spanish and English, this article examines the wider sociopolitical context of language use through the lens of ethnolinguistic vitality and subjective ethnolinguistic vitality, and from the perspective of the competing forces of language panic and language pride.

scholarly journals Multilingualism, modern metropolis and youth: a sociolinguistic profile of a section of students of Calcutta University

1970 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Aditi Ghosh ◽  
Bula Bhadra ◽  
Mina Dan
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Language Maintenance ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Native Community ◽  
Regional Language ◽  
Language Maintenance And Shift ◽  
Linguistic Communities

Kolkata has been a multilingual city for several hundredyears and like all modern metropolis it is home to diverse linguistic communities. Such multilingual metropolis almost always impacts the lives, the culture and languages of inhabitants. This is even more interesting when the communities in question are not a ‘native' community but are migrated. This paper tries to investigate the nature of its impact on the language use of a section of Calcutta University students whose native language is not Bengali. Through a questionnaire-based survey, we try to explore the pattern of language use of these students. Through this study we would like to show the model of language dynamics as exists among a section of youth in Kolkata, who are not speakers of the principle regional language, and indicate its effect on languages, individuals and communities concerned. Key words: multilingualism, urban sociolinguistics, language use, language maintenance and shift. DOI: 10.3329/dujl.v2i3.4140 The Dhaka University Journal of Linguistics: Vol.2 No.3 February, 2009 Page: 1-18

Language choice and code-switching among Hong Kong’s Hakka speakers

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-83
Author(s):  
Sherman Lee
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Language Choice ◽  
Code Switching ◽  
Bilingual Speakers ◽  
Linguistic Resource ◽  
Ethnographic Approach ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Community Shifts

Abstract This paper examines the language practices among speakers of Hakka in Hong Kong, a minority Chinese variety still found in the territory. These speakers were largely monolingual a few decades ago but are now primarily bilingual in Hakka and Cantonese as the community shifts towards the latter, the dominant societal language. To explore the process and dynamics of this language shift, the present study adopted an ethnographic approach for observing the actual bilingual behaviours of individuals and families in the community. The informant sample comprised 32 speakers aged between 9 and 82 from nine separate families across Hong Kong. Data was collected through a combination of participant observation, informal interviews and conversational exchanges in the informants’ homes. Examination of their patterns of language choice and language use shows that most of the speakers use Cantonese-dominant patterns, and are ‘shifters’ rather than ‘maintainers’ of the Hakka language; the shift is clearly generation and age-related. The paper also illustrates how bilingual speakers make use of code-switching between Hakka and Cantonese to achieve various discourse purposes in their everyday conversations, suggesting that even among the ‘language shifters’, Hakka remains an important linguistic resource.

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