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    Language Maintenance and Shift

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    Arianti Saputra
    The document discusses language shift and loss in minority language communities. It describes how migrant minorities may shift to the dominant language for communication needs, and how non-migrant minorities can also experience language shift due to political, economic, or social changes. When a majority group migrates to a new place, they can displace the original minority language. Language death occurs when a language is no longer spoken by anyone, while language loss is when individuals lose their native language and replace it with another. Language shift speed is influenced by demographic factors and attitudes towards the minority language. Minority languages can be maintained through language revival efforts like in Hebrew and Welsh which established language promotion programs.

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    Language Maintenance and Shift

    Uploaded by

    Arianti Saputra
    104 views2 pages
    The document discusses language shift and loss in minority language communities. It describes how migrant minorities may shift to the dominant language for communication needs, and how non-migrant minorities can also experience language shift due to political, economic, or social changes. When a majority group migrates to a new place, they can displace the original minority language. Language death occurs when a language is no longer spoken by anyone, while language loss is when individuals lose their native language and replace it with another. Language shift speed is influenced by demographic factors and attitudes towards the minority language. Minority languages can be maintained through language revival efforts like in Hebrew and Welsh which established language promotion programs.

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    The document discusses language shift and loss in minority language communities. It describes how migrant minorities may shift to the dominant language for communication needs, and how non-migrant minorities can also experience language shift due to political, economic, or social changes. When a majority group migrates to a new place, they can displace the original minority language. Language death occurs when a language is no longer spoken by anyone, while language loss is when individuals lose their native language and replace it with another. Language shift speed is influenced by demographic factors and attitudes towards the minority language. Minority languages can be maintained through language revival efforts like in Hebrew and Welsh which established language promotion programs.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    104 views2 pages

    Language Maintenance and Shift

    Uploaded by

    Arianti Saputra
    The document discusses language shift and loss in minority language communities. It describes how migrant minorities may shift to the dominant language for communication needs, and how non-migrant minorities can also experience language shift due to political, economic, or social changes. When a majority group migrates to a new place, they can displace the original minority language. Language death occurs when a language is no longer spoken by anyone, while language loss is when individuals lose their native language and replace it with another. Language shift speed is influenced by demographic factors and attitudes towards the minority language. Minority languages can be maintained through language revival efforts like in Hebrew and Welsh which established language promotion programs.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    LANGUAGE SHIFT IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES

    MIGRANT MINORITIES

    The experience of a minority language in a monolingual country can be


    displaced by the predominant society’s language. This shift was made by
    social factors, as the shift occurs from one language to another for
    communicative needs.

    NON-MIGRANT MINORITIES

    Language shift is not always the result of migration. Political, economic, and
    social changes can occur within a community, and this may result in
    linguistic changes too.

    MIGRANT MAJORITIES

    When a majority group with their powerful language moves to another place
    it can displace the original language of that place. When one group brings
    about political power and imposes its language along with its institutions
    (government-education-religious places), the minority will find themselves
    under pressure and then adopt the language of the dominant group.

    LANGUAGE DEATH AND LANGUAGE LOSS

    Language Death

    In language death, the language is not spoken by anyone at all. This is due
    to the fact that the speakers of this language are disappeared due to
    continuous extermination or death by diseases. The process of language
    death comes about through a gradual loss of proficiency and competence by
    the speakers.

    Language Loss

    Language loss is when a speaker loses their first native language. This
    process usually happens when the speaker is isolated from others who
    speak their native language and a second language is learned to replace the
    first.

    FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO LANGUAGE SHIFT

    Demographic factors

    The speed of language shift is influenced by various demographic factors


    such as rural or urban areas, group size, intermarriage, language value, and
    international status.
    Attitudes and values

    The slower language shift tends to occur in communities where the minority
    language is highly valued and seen as an important symbol of ethnic
    identity.

    HOW CAN A MINORITY LANGUAGE BE MAINTAINED?

    LANGUAGE REVIVAL

    Language Revival

    Sometimes a community becomes aware of the fact that its language is


    being threatened or endangered by disappearance. Therefore, attempts were
    made to revive these communities’ languages. For example:

    a. Hebrew: Hebrew was dead for nearly 1700 years. Its use was confined
    to religious sermons or prayers. However, the strong feelings of
    nationalism helped in promoting and reviving the Hebrew language.
    b. Welsh: when English industrialists invaded Wales (in migration), the
    Welsh language was under a process of erosion. The miners and the
    workers began to use English as it became the predominant language
    used excessively by the English people. The situation became worse
    when many Welsh workers left the place (out-migration). Two-thirds of
    the population started to speak English. Welsh people then worked on
    slowing down the language loss by obtaining a Welsh-language TV
    channel, as well as establishing bilingual educational programs.
    (bilingual education)

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