The Maintenance of Language and Identities of the Thai-Melayu Ethnic Group in Jaleh Village, Yarang District, Pattani, Thailand

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brohanah Tayeh ◽  
◽  
Kamila Kaping ◽  
Nadeehah Samae ◽  
Varavejbhisis Yossiri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Group ◽  
Heritage Language ◽  
Language Maintenance ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Heritage Language Maintenance ◽  
Thai Language ◽  
Ethnic Language ◽  
Salient Factor ◽  
A Minor ◽  
The Village

At the Thai-Malaysian border, a majority of the population comprises the Thai-Melayu ethnic group, as speakers of the Pattani-Malay dialect. Here, heritage language maintenance presents a salient factor. The ethnicity resides on both sides of the border. This study aims to investigate the heritage language maintenance and identities of the Thai-Melayu ethnic group in Jaleh Village, Yarang District, Pattani, Thailand, and to examine their attitudes towards the language used in their community. The samples-set comprised 20 local respondents who were born and raised in the village. A questionnaire addressing the effects of the heritage language maintenance of the Thai-Melayu was employed as a tool of data collection. A descriptive analysis method was used for data analysis. The results of the study revealed ideological underpinnings of the ethnic group with regards to language, as well as demographic information that informs population and cultural studies. These factors include that the Pattani-Malay dialect constitutes a major language, where the Thai language in comparison has a minor usage in the community. The Pattani-Malay dialect is used in the family domain, with extended families, or with neighbors, and in ritualistic or religion domains. In contrast, Thai is used with strangers, in government and official domains, in the school domain, and in the domain of public health. Moreover, the results support that the dialect has not as yet become endangered, evidenced by that the samples prefer the Pattani-Malay dialect as the main language for daily life, and for passing on their ethnic language to younger generations, a process labeled as ‘accidental maintenance.’

scholarly journals Language attitudes of young Romanians in Catalonia (Spain): The role of heritage language maintenance programs

Multilingua ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-355
Author(s):  
Maria Adelina Ianos ◽  
Ester Caballé ◽  
Cristina Petreñas ◽  
Ángel Huguet
Keyword(s):  
Heritage Language ◽  
Language Maintenance ◽  
Language Attitudes ◽  
Immigrant Population ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Heritage Language Maintenance ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Method Analysis ◽  
International Status

Abstract This article presents a mixed method analysis of the language attitudes held by secondary education students of Romanian origin, which are members of the second largest immigrant population living currently in Catalonia. The relevance of this data is based on the cardinal role played by attitudes in the success of any educational or linguistic policy (Lewis, E. Glyn. 1981. Bilingualism and bilingual education. Oxford, UK: Pergamon.) – a topic of special relevance in contexts with considerable migratory influxes, such as Catalonia, which aims to achieve social cohesiveness in a framework of interculturalism and multilingualism. The various initiatives implemented for this purpose include the heritage language maintenance programs, such as the “Romanian Language, Culture, and Civilization” (RLCC) program. The results showed that the young Romanians had the most favourable attitudes towards Spanish, followed closely by Romanian, and lastly Catalan, which was the least valued language. Furthermore, these attitudinal patterns were not determined by RLCC attendance. The insights provided by the in-depth interviews indicated various components and meanings associated with the attitudes towards the three languages. Namely, attitudes towards Spanish were primed by its international status and ease of learning, while attitudes towards Catalan were build on its integrative value and social status. Although esteemed for its emotional and symbolic bonds, Romanian seemed to be on a path towards invisibilization. Finally, the educational and social implications of these findings are discussed, emphasising the importance of involving and working with both the autochthonous and the Romanian immigrant population.

scholarly journals The Ethnolinguistic Vitality of Konjo in Bulukumba Regency of South Sulawesi, Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-40
Author(s):  
Sri Ningsih ◽  
Hamzah Machmoed ◽  
Noer Jihad Saleh ◽  
Ria Jubhari
Keyword(s):  
Heritage Language ◽  
Language Maintenance ◽  
Institutional Support ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Ethnic Identification ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Ethnolinguistic Vitality ◽  
South Sulawesi ◽  
Ethnic Language ◽  
Sheer Number

The maintenance of an ethnic language in a multilingual setting depends on many factors, and it is including language vitality. This study examines the vitality of the Konjo language in South Sulawesi. By demonstrating the ethnolinguistic vitality (EV) theory, this descriptive study examines Konjo language vitality in two contexts: ethnically homogeneous and ethnically heterogeneous areas in Bulukumba Regency. In the homogenous area, status, demographic, and institutional support are factors to contribute to the EV of Konjo. However, in the heterogeneous area, demographic factors contribute little while status and institutional support contribute to the maintenance of the language. The result of this study shows that the sheer number of Konjo community members distributed throughout the heterogeneous area is not sufficient for language maintenance. Nevertheless, Konjo EV remains high overall because of the community’s strong cultural and ethnic identification with their heritage language..

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