A Discussion of Language Shift,Death and Maintenan_图文

A Discussion of Language Shift,Death and Maintenance

Abstract：This paper focuses on discussing the reasons for language shift and

death,and how to maintain a on the theory of Crystal (2000),several

reasons for a language shift and language death have been discuss

why language death is a great loss for human,because we need diversity,languages

express identity,languages are repositories of history,languages are interesting in

themselves,language is the most valuable single possess icon of human

y,we set language status in China as an example to illustrate language

maintenance.

Key words：language shiftlanguage deathlanguage maintenance

uction

Language contact is a widespread and complex starts from

individual to a societal language contact situations,there are a few variations

language repertoires,diglossia,language shift,and

Pidginization,Creolization, this none-stop changing world,language

shift and language death are happening every day and arose by several reasons.

tical Foundation

2.1 Bilinguality - Bilingualism

When two languages are in contact,it happens first in the language behaviour of

the individual,next in interpersonal relations,and finally at the societal level.

Hamers & Blanc (1989) defines that: Bilinguality is the psychological state of an

individual who has access to more than one linguistic code as a means of social

ualism,on the other hand,includes that of bilinguality (or

individual bilingualism) but refers equally to the state of a linguistic community in

which two languages are in contact with the result that two codes can be used in the

same interaction and that a number of individuals are bilingual (societal bilingualism).

2.2 The Definition and Role of Language

Language is defined generally as an abstract entity distinct from others in the

individual’s language rmore,language is defined as linguistic code

used by a group of speakers who stand in a similar relationship to it and perceive it to

be different from other linguistic role of language in intergroup behaviour

is approached from different perspectives: language as a symbol and instrument of

group identity,the concept of ethnolinguistic vitality and the interface between

language and ethnicity in a multicultural setting.(Hamers & Blanc,1989)

2.3 Sociolinguistic Variations in Language Contact situations

Languages in contact arises sociolinguistic variations.

2.3.1 Bilingual Speech term “repertoire”is defined by Gumperz

(1968) as that in a multilingual speech community a whole range of languages,or

repertoire,is available to speakers ,who use some of them in their linguistic interaction

to perform particular social oire is also used to refer to the range of

dialects,registers and styles typical of a unilingual community of speakers where the

choice of one variety over another can have the same social significance as code

selection in a multilingual community.

Although it is common to think of a language as being divided into separate

regional dialects,there is often no clear division between them but rather a continuum

from one to illustration of a complex multilingual speech repertoire at

both the community and the individual level is given by Platt (1977).

2.3.2 concept of diglossia was originally developed by Ferguson

(1959) to describe two functional varieties within one language,one of which,called

the High (H) variety,is reserved for formal functions and is formally learned,the

other,the Low (L) variety,is used in informal notion of diglossia was

extended by Gumperz (1971) to multilingual situations.

Stable diglossia evolves and is said to “leak”when one variety takes

over the functions formerly reserved for the other and this is a sign of the incipient

breakdown of the diglossic relationship,reflecting changes in the power relations

between the outcome will be either a new variety which is a mixture of

the former High and Low varieties or the replacement of one language by another.

2.3.3 Language stable diglossia a multilingual community maintains its

different languages by reserving each of them for certain domains,roles and functions

with little encroachment of one language upon the domains,roles and functions of

maintenance is dependent upon relatively stable relations between the

groups of the these relations change,however,and one group begins

to assimilate to another,language maintenance starts to break s of that

group begin to use the language of another group for domains,roles and functions

hitherto reserved for the first own language is affected by the dominant

group’s the group gives up its mother tongue the process of language

shift is the group’s language ceases to be spoken by its members we

have a case of “language death”.We will examine this separately in part 4.(Hamers &

Blanc,1989)

Language shift is a phenomenon which testifies to the end of a group’s

the group as a whole,with its different generations and social

structures,we can represent the process on a continuum ranging from unilingualism in

L1 at one end to unilingualism in L2 at the other between we have different

levels of bilinguality,from dominant in L1 to dominant in L2,with a middle stage of

relatively balanced multidimensional process may be schematized in

the following unidimensional model (Figure 1)

Figure 1Undimensional model of language shift

Typically language shift takes place over three since groups are

not homogeneous,the shift spreads to varying degrees,in different ways,and at varying

rates of that throughout this process the subordinate language is

affected by the dominant one in its lexis,grammar and usage: its speakers

borrow,code-mix and code-switch.

As Hamers & Blanc (1989) discussed that there is a distinction between these

language contact communication strategies used by bilingual speakers: code-mixing

and -mixing is a process characterized by the transfer of

elements from a language Ly to the base language Lx;in the mixed utterance which

results we can distinguish monolingual chunks of Lx alternating with chunks of Ly

which refer to the rules of two -mixing transfers elements of all linguistic

levels and units ranging from a lexical item to a sentence,and it can be a bilingual’s

specific code which enables him to express attitudes,intentions,roles and to identify

with a particular code-switching,two languages are present in the

discourse,chunks from one language alternating with chunks from the other.

3.2 Language Death —— a Great Loss for Human

It is believed by some people that human beings should speak a global language

which will guarantee mutual understanding,enlightenment,and this can only

happen in an ideal the real world,language differs in thousands is the

chief badge of a ge death is a great loss for human,because

language is the most valuable single possess ion of human race,because we need

linguistic diversity as we need biological diversity and ecological the

human race is to prosper it needs the cross-fertilization which is provided by

multilingualism;the more ways we have of thinking or understanding or

describing,the richer we are as a human l (2000:40) says that: “language is

the primary index,or symbol,or register of identity”.Identity is what makes the

members of a community recognizably the is a summation of the

characteristics which make it what it is and not something is difficult for a

nation to articulate his own identity if he lost his language.A nation without a

language is a nation without ty,then,brings us inexorably into contact with

should care because languages contribute to the sum of human

ge is the most efficient means of ensuring the transmission of

memory,and our memory is the memory of mankind.

3.3 How Can a Language Be Maintained?

In order to maintain a language,first language shift should be kept in check.A

stable diglossic situation is the two languages are in complementary

there are very few societies that have maintained widespread fact,it

has been stated that no society needs or has two languages for the same

ge shift always happens.

3.3.1 Objective Perception of Ethnolinguistic Vitality

If the languages are not in a diglossic relationship,then in order to survive as a

distinctive and active collective entity,the subordinate group should have a high

ethonolinguistic vitality.(Giles Bourhis & Taylor,1977) In order to maintain the

language of minority group,the minorities should be active in

economic,political,social,historical and linguistic an example of

China’s minority groups,although the minorities accounted for only about 7 percent of

the whole population,the minority deputies to the National People’s Congress made

up 13.5 percent of all representatives to the congress,and 5 of the 22 vice chairmen of

its Standing Committee (23 percent) are minority e most of the

minority areas are autonomy,there is a great freedom to develop in their own way.

The government sees the minority areas are economically as well as politically

the turn of the century the focus of economic development shifts to the

northwest (minority areas).As we mentioned above,minority groups in China

constitute only about 7 percent of the total population but more than 70 million people

and are distributed over 60 percent of the land.

There are still a large number of people who speak the minority

utional support is also China,the central government

adopted various measures to provide financial and economic educational assistance to

the minority most of the cities,there are minority universities where the

minority language is used.

According to these figure,the status of minority groups in

economic,political,social,historical and linguistic aspects are getting the

help of the Chinese government,the maintenance of minority languages in China has

achieved a great success,but still has a long way to go.

3.3.2 Subjective Perception of Ethnolinguistic Vitality

Whether a minority group itself have an active willing to survive their own

language is very relates with people’s personal affective beliefs,hopes

and fears about the ,subjective perception is the first thing of all.

To summarize,the higher the vitality of the group in all these areas,the more

likely its culture and language are to survive.

sion

Language is the greatest treasure of human are obligated to save any

language which is in danger,for language death is a great loss for ge

shift and death happen under such situations: disasters from nature;culture

assimilation;inter-culture marriages;immigration;lower status in

economic,political,social,historical and linguistic of ethnic groups.

If language contact can not be avoided,we should help minorities to maintain

their status and vitality and give them institutional support to keep language shift in

check.

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