LANGUAGE MAINTENANCE

AND LANGUAGE SHIFT

LANGUAGE MAINTENANCE
⮚ the study of how languages survive, or
the continuing use of (minority)
language in the face of a more
regionally, socially or politically
dominant language (Van Herk, 2012)
Language Shift
⮚ happens when the language of the
wider society (majority) displaces
the minority mother tongue
language over time in migrant
communities or in communities
under military occupation
“The change from the habitual use of one
language to that of another” (Weinreich,
1953, p.63)
“When a community does not maintain its
language, but gradually adopts another
one, we talk about language shift.”
(Hoffman, 1991)
“The gradual replacement of one language
by another as the primary language of
communication and socialization within a
speech community” (Van Herk, 2012)
Factors which Accelerate a
Language Shift
“Social bilingualism, migration, industrialization,
the school’s and government’s use of language,
urbanization, the prestige level of language, etc.”
(Cavallaaro, 2005)
FACTORS LEADING TO
LANGUAGE SHIFT
A.Economic, Social and Political Factors
B.Demographic Factors
C.Attitudes and Values
Economic, Social and
Political Factor
The dominant language
01 is associated with social
status and prestige.

Obtaining work is the

obvious economic reason
02
for learning another
language.

The pressure of
03 institutional domains
such as schools and the
Demographic Factors
1. Language shift is faster in urban areas
than rural
2. The size of the group is some times a
critical factor
3. Intermarriage between groups can
accelerate language shift
Attitudes and Values
Language shift is slower among
communities where the minority language is
highly valued, therefore when the language
is seen as an important symbol of ethnic
identity its generally maintained longer, and
visa versa.
DEATH AND LOSS
LANGUAGE
DEATH
a complete language
shift in which the
original language is
no longer used by
anyone, anywhere
 When all the people who
speak a language die, the
language dies with them.
 With the spread of a majority group
language into more and more domains, the
number of contexts in which individuals
use the ethnic language diminishes. The
language usually retreats till it is used only
in the home, and finally it is restricted to
such personal activities as counting,
praying and dreaming.
 1992 1974 1977
▪ In Tasmania, 3000-4000
death of people exterminated
Tefvik death of within 75 years.
death of ▪ As the domains in which
Esenc Ned
Dolly speakers use the
Maddrellt
Pentreath language shrink, the
death of speakers of the dying
Caucasian death of language become
death of
language Manx gradually less proficient
Cornish in it.
Ubykh
 How can a minority language be maintained?
7. Institutional support from domains such as 1. A language can be maintained and
education, law, administration, religion and the preserved, when it's highly valued as an
media can make a difference between the important symbol of ethnic identity for the
success and failure of maintaining a minority minority group.
group language.

6. An extended normal family in which 2. If families from a minority group

parents, children and grandchildren live live near each other and see each
together and use the same minority other frequently, their interactions
language can help to maintain it. will help to maintain the language.
 

5. Ensuring that the minority group language 3. For emigrate individuals from a minority
is used at formal settings such as schools
group, the degree and frequency of contact
or worship places will increases language
with the homeland can contribute to
maintenance.
language maintenance.

4. Intermarriage within the same

minority group is helpful to maintain
the native language.
ETHNOLINGUISTIC VITALITY
The maintenance of a language can be measured
by the following factors:
1. The status of the language as indicated by
attitudes towards it.
2. The size of the group who uses the language
and their distribution
3. The extent to which the language enjoys
institutional support.
LINGUISTIC
LANDSCAPE
▪ refers to the visibility and salience
of languages on public and
commercial signs in a given
territory or region

It is proposed that the linguistic

landscape may serve important
informational and symbolic functions
as a marker of the relative power
and status of the linguistic
communities inhabiting the territory
(Landrisand Bourhis, 1997)
Language Revival
▪ Some communities take action to
revitalize the languages in danger
of disappearance , e.g. Maori in
New Zealand
▪ The attitude of the people who use
the language is very important,
e.g. Hebrew in Israel
▪ Immersion: bilingual schooling
Dimension for
analyzing language
maintenance and
shift