Language solidarity, vitality and status: Sibe family language attitudes in North-western China

Xiao-rong, Yin; Li, Guofang

doi:10.1080/14664208.2020.1785751

Cited by 6 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…This dimension is named dynamism-language as the top two characteristics that shared the most variance in this dimension are attitudes towards the perceived ease or difficulty of a dialect. Previous research in LAs has revealed a strong connection between language use and dynamism (Rezaei et al, 2017;Yin and Li, 2021). What follows is that the comprehensibility of the language or dialect is a basic factor for the language user to use it.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…It might be that from the point of view of the Saudis, one of the indexical qualities of a dynamic dialect is the dialect having some status and being prestigious. Second, with regard to the characteristic 'beautiful', it is important to mention that this characteristic is indexical of aesthetic quality, which has been widely associated with the solidarity dimension in previous studies (see Yin and Li, 2021;Zahn and Hopper, 1985). However, according to Saudis' ideological suppositions, the beauty of a dialect is associated with the dynamism dimension.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…These formed the independent variables in the study. The reason for choosing these social demographics for inclusion in the study was that they have a long history of proven effectiveness in LA research (for age, see Paltridge and Giles, 1984;Yin and Li, 2021; for gender and location, see Montgomery, 2012; for educational level, see Kircher and Fox, 2019).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In an endangered language context, many studies have shown that negative attitudes towards an endangered language might increase the chances of its loss; similarly, positive attitudes might increase the chances for the language to be maintained and revitalised (Sallabank, 2013). Furthermore, research on LAs towards endangered languages has helped language planners to propose projects for language revitalisation (Kircher and Fox, 2019;Yin and Li, 2021).…”

Section: La Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Language attitudes in fast-growing societies: new insights in the dynamism dimension

Alhazmi

2023

Humanit Soc Sci Commun

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This paper explores broad language attitudes in Saudi Arabia. Using a verbal guise technique in an online questionnaire, the study investigates 568 Saudi participants’ attitudes toward four main dialects in the country. The results revealed a three-dimensional model that includes a two-type dynamism dimension and a solidarity dimension. The model adds to the previous discussion on language attitudes research, particularly to the topic of the dynamism dimension. The dimensional model contributes to language attitudes theory by challenging the dominance and significance of the dynamism dimension instead of the status dimension in rapidly urbanised countries such as Saudi Arabia. The findings also indicate that attitudes are affected by the social factors of dialect, gender, place of birth, and level of education. Three patterns emerged from social background effects: in-group loyalty, female participants’ willingness and acceptance towards dialect variations in Saudi Arabia and the impact of education in fostering less biased attitudes. The paper discusses the implications for Saudi Arabia’s educational system, proposing the inclusion of an educational programme in schools to enhance understanding of the value of linguistic and cultural diversity. Additionally, it highlights the role of media in reducing prejudice towards specific dialects.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: La Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Language attitudes in fast-growing societies: new insights in the dynamism dimension

Alhazmi

2023

Humanit Soc Sci Commun

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“…Positive attitudes tend to decrease among younger generations and vice versa. In a recent study, Yin and Li (2021) investigated LAs toward the Sibe language, an endangered language in China. They found that age was a salient factor in the dynamism (i.e., vitality) dimension.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Inner Circle Attitudes of Endangered Languages: A Case Study of the Faifi Language

Mobarak Alhazmi

2024

Sage Open

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This study is the first to explore language attitudes of the endangered Faifi language in SA. Understanding these attitudes is crucial for future language revitalization efforts. Employing a conceptual framework from LA research, data were collected via an online Arabic questionnaire with a sample of 258 participants. This paper aims to explore the indigenous people’s language attitudes, frequency of language use, and the influence of social backgrounds. Data were analyzed using factor analysis and multiple regression. Three key findings emerged: Firstly, a two-dimensional model encompassing status and dynamism dimensions was identified, offering new insights into LAs. Notably, the trait “educated” was associated with dynamism rather than the typical association with the status dimension, which can be attributed to educational factors related to the Faifi language’s lack of formal instruction in schools. Secondly, the reported use of the Faifi language by its speakers indicated a positive trend. Lastly, age was found to be the only significant sociodemographic variable, with older participants exhibiting more positive attitudes compared to younger participants. In summary, this research contributes fresh perspectives on the dimensions of language attitudes, particularly by highlighting the deviation of the trait “educated” from its customary position within the status dimension. Additionally, the study emphasizes the salience of age as a factor. The paper recommends macro and micro language policies; macro language policy should consider integrating the language into the educational system, while micro language policy should originate from the indigenous community itself, initiating initiatives to further support language use among young speakers.

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Family language policy in multi-ethnic and multilingual villages in Yunnan, China: a comparative case study of Kena village and Anmin village

Zhang

Shi

2022

Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development

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Language solidarity, vitality and status: Sibe family language attitudes in North-western China

Cited by 6 publications

References 51 publications

Language attitudes in fast-growing societies: new insights in the dynamism dimension

Language attitudes in fast-growing societies: new insights in the dynamism dimension

Exploring the Inner Circle Attitudes of Endangered Languages: A Case Study of the Faifi Language

Family language policy in multi-ethnic and multilingual villages in Yunnan, China: a comparative case study of Kena village and Anmin village

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