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09 - Lecture 4 Language Maintenance and Shift

The document outlines a lecture on Language Shift (LS), which is the gradual replacement of a primary language by another. It discusses the factors contributing to LS, including institutional support, societal attitudes, and demographic changes, as well as concepts like Language Maintenance (LM) and Language Revival (LR). The lecture also categorizes types of LS and distinguishes between language death and loss.

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45 views9 pages

09 - Lecture 4 Language Maintenance and Shift

The document outlines a lecture on Language Shift (LS), which is the gradual replacement of a primary language by another. It discusses the factors contributing to LS, including institutional support, societal attitudes, and demographic changes, as well as concepts like Language Maintenance (LM) and Language Revival (LR). The lecture also categorizes types of LS and distinguishes between language death and loss.

Uploaded by

reema
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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ADVANCED

READINGS IN (61259)
LANGUAGE &
CULTURE
TARJ 324 10:30 – 12:50
WEEK 2
Language
Maintenance
& Shift Wed
OUTLINE OF TODAY’S LECTURE
 What is Language Shift (LS)?
 How it happens

 Types of LS

 Factors

 LD & LL

 LM

 LR
LANGUAGE SHIFT = LANGUAGE TRANSFER =
LANGUAGE REPLACEMENT =
LANGUAGE ASSIMILATION

 The gradual replacement of one’s main language or languages, often


labelled L1, by another language, usually referred to as L2, in all spheres
of usage.

process product= outcome


HOW DOES LS HAPPEN?

The societal level = Macro level


Individual level = Micro level
TYPES OF LANGUAGE SHIFT
a. Migrant communities

b. Non-migrant communities

c. Migrant majorities
FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO LANGUAGE SHIFT
 Institutional support: Is the group’s language used in local education? Government? Churches? Media?

 Power and prestige of languages= Attitude & Values: How prestigious is the group – in their own eyes,
and in the eyes of the larger society? The language of all the cool stuff around– movies, music, books,
TV. And it is the language of upward mobility.

 Demography: How big is the group and other language groups around it? How dispersed are the
speakers? Are people marrying out of the group, or having a lot of children? Are new migrants
continuing to arrive?

 Community choices: Often, an accumulation of individual choices about assimilation and change lead
to a speech community shifting to a new language.
LANGUAGE DEATH & LANGUAGE LOSS

linguistic/language extinction

linguistic/language obsolescence

language attrition
LANGUAGE MAINTENANCE
The continued use or retention of an L1, a minority or heritage
language in one or more spheres of language use.

(1) the period of continued use since the initial language contact,

(2) the extent to which it is the exclusive language in any given context and

(3) the number of contexts in which the L1 continues to be used either exclusively

or in conjunction with another language.


LANGUAGE REVIVAL = LANGUAGE REVITALISATION

Where a language is in some state of endangerment or decline ranging from


(near) extinction in terms of usage to low levels of usage by the speech
community, attempts may be made to increase its usage again.
Process
LR vs. LM
1. Linguistic repair 1. Social group
2. Active speakers 2. Homeland
3. Expand the context 3. Active step

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