CHINESE DIALECTS IN SINGAPORE: REVERSING LANGUAGE SHIFT
HING GHEE MENG, KEVIN
HING GHEE MENG, KEVIN
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Abstract
In this study, I will look at the Language Maintenance and Language Shift of the
Chinese population in Singapore as they experience Language Shift from Chinese
Dialects to the official languages of English and Mandarin Chinese. While language
shift factors have been relatively well-studied (e.g. Li et al 1997, Saravanan 1998),
factors important for the maintenance of languages are not as well-researched. The
aim of this study is therefore to examine factors that contribute to language
maintenance of Chinese Dialects for a selected group of young Chinese individuals
in an environment that fosters language shift. This is done by analysing their
domains of Chinese Dialect language use, language attitudes and beliefs with data
from a series of tape-recorded interviews.
The theoretical basis for this study is Fishman's theoretical framework concerning
Reversing Language Shift (RLS), which emphasizes the home domain as the ftilcrum
and "crucial nexus of inter-generational mother tongue transmission" (Fishman
2001: 467) However, to understand and account for the linguistic behaviour and
practices of the individuals, we need to relate this study to Pierre Bourdieu's social
theory that uses notions such as habitus, fields, linguistic capital and language
legitimacy, to provide us with the insight into social reproduction and change. Particularly, Fishman's (1965) notions of Domains will be re-conceptualized in a
Bourdieu-ian framework.
It is shown that Domains, as "fields", are also characterised as sites of representation
of the social self, sites of struggle for legitimacy between the state-legitimised
languages (English and Mandarin Chinese) and Chinese Dialects, and sites of
resistance to the field of power. Also, Chinese Dialects are shown to have high social
value in certain fields. The implications from these findings for any efforts to reverse
Chinese Dialect Language Shift are considered and practical measures are proposed,
if any such efforts are to be taken.
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Date
2004
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