1.Define language shift. RESPOND HERE: the gradual shift in a person, family or community’s majority usage from one language or variety to another 2. What conditions preclude the language of colonizers replacing local languages? RESPOND HERE: multilingualism is widespread and there are many different indigenous languages 3 Under what conditions do “killer languages” emerge? RESPOND HERE: multilingualism is not common and there are few indigenous languages. The colonizers impose their languages along with their institutions 4. Under what conditions will language loss usually not result in language death? RESPOND HERE: Language loss can occur on a personal basis that would not result in language death. For example, an immigrant child who is fluent in their native language upon arrival in the host country but gradually becomes less proficient in the language due to lack of use. 5. Under what conditions is the maintenance of a minority language likely to succeed? RESPOND HERE: There should be an active effort to conserve the native language, you must have a group large enough to be able to communicate in the language often. The minority language should be seen as a key part of ethnic identity. Success maintaining the language is also likely if there is institutional support. If children have to learn and use the language for school or church as well as in the home, the language is more likely to be maintained. 6. To what extent have different approaches and strategies been successful in reviving or revitalizing a language? RESPOND HERE: Using the language with children - successful. Obtaining a Welsh tv station and using the language as a medium to teach children has slowed its decline 7. In “Primary Sources” you will find a series documents from a variety of non-academic and academic sources; they offer a wealth of data relevant to language maintenance and shift that go beyond the material in Holmes. Most of the documents are fairly short. However, no. 7. “ Maintaining and RenewingNative Languages” by Jon Reyhner of Northern Arizona University and Edward Tennant of Educational Research Associates is close to 20 pages and is an in-depth academic paper dealing. For this last prompt, read through as many of the “Primary Sources” as you like and then answer the following: a. Which primary sources did you read? RESPOND HERE: I read number 4: The Importance of Maintaining and Encouraging First Languages by Albert Wisco b. How does reading primary sources clarify and expand your understanding of the issues presented in Ch. 3, Language Maintenance and shift. RESPOND HERE: This article suggests that there are reasons other than cultural to want to maintain a minority language. Bilingualism also helps children in
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