Analyse The Factors Contributing To Language Maintenance Education Essay

Analyse The Factors Contributing To Language Maintenance Education EssayIn countries of significant migration, like Australia, rude(a)ly arrived settlers from non-English speaking countries need to become bilingual, adding to volubility in their own oral communication at least many eloquence in English. With the passage of time, perhaps generations, families may find that their ethnic run-in becomes lost to them. Many consider that this loss is not only a loss for families and individuals, but that it is also a loss for the familiarity at large. For the purposes of this canvas, the term verbiage upkeep is used to refer to the ability of ethnic communities, families and individuals to have their own phrase while adapting to the address of their new country. This essay will consider the computes which wait to mildew the maintenance of a actors line, focussing on some(prenominal) of the more than powerful social and psychological forces which resist individuals to wards the continued learning and maintenance of a minority dustup. There seems to be little doubt among the researchers that attitudes influence words maintenance. In fact, attitudes towards the minority language and culture appear to underlie the other relevant component parts, which include intellect of ethnic personal identity element, pauperism and family support. These factors will be dealt with in turn in this essay.There is a considerable body of evidence that attitudes to the ethnic language and culture influence language maintenance. In order to consider attitudes towards a language, one needs to consider what makes a language valuable. According to Edwards (1985), great possibilities of employment and acceptance by the community that speaks the language be some valuable qualities. Factors that devalue a language would include the embarrassment some children feel about pargonnts use of the minority language in general when the children want to conform. Gardner (198 5) has produced and reviewed studies attempting to establish a relationship between attitudes towards a language and culture and motivation to practise the language and participate in that culture. He concludes on the basis of the research that attitudes be fairly consistently cogitate to achievement in a language. Political issues obviously affect attitudes and cos lettuce (1989, p. 42), in dealing with the effect of ties with the homeland on language maintenance, wrote that refugees in truth much reject the language of the oppressive regime and try to assimilate to the new culture as quickly as possible.An individuals and communitys consciousness of ethnic identity appears to have a profound influence on language maintenance. Issues of identity ar extremely personal and often emotional, interwoven as they are with personality. One expects the extent to which a person identifies with his/her ethnic oscilloscope to influence the motivation behind maintenance of the ethnic lan guage. Some studies (e.g. Bentahila and Davies, 1992) have contend this expectation. It appears that it is possible for a speech community to value its ethnic background and language highly though not passing it on to their children, mayhap for utilitarian reasons. Or language may not be considered a core value of ethnic identity, as with the Dutch community in Australia, which tends not to maintain the Dutch language over generations (Clyne, 1982). The Dutch community in Australia, according to Smolicz and Secombe (1979), is a sort out that does not consider it very important to retain its own culture as distinct to that of the ascendant majority. Poles and Greeks, however, are language-centred cultures, in which language is considered an important and defining aspect of group membership. These communities, according to Clyne (1979), do maintain their languages well. It thus appears that a strong sense of ethnic identity is an important factor contributing to language maintenanc e as long as language is considered an important part of that identity. look for indicates that motivation is also strongly related to the successful learning and maintenance of a language. A great deal of work has centred around the trait between integral and instrumental motivation. Integrative motivation (for example spare-time activity in and liking of the language and those who speak it) derives from positive attitudes towards the target language group and the desire and potential for integrating with that group. Instrumental motivation involves utilitarian feelings like knowing that the language may improve ones opportunities for employment. Most researchers educe that integrative motivation is a more powerful factor in promoting language maintenance, but Clyne (1979) points out that acceptance of a language as an examination and/or school subject is a major factor in German and Dutch language maintenance, and one can tire that this has been an important factor in maintena nce of the key languages indicated by the internal Language Policy of 1987 for teaching in the Department of Education. It seems clear that motivation of both types play a role in language maintenance. possibly the most fundamental issue to be taken into account when considering language maintenance is family support for the continued use of the ethnic language. Dennison (1977 in Edwards 1985) tell that the most direct cause of language loss is lack of transmission to children. According to Fantini (1985, p. 197),Language is the childs passport for entry into a social group, or a cultural community. Two languages permit the child to enter into and become the world views of two communities.For these views to exist in harmony rather than in conflict, favourable attitudes on the part of those who surround the child are requirement to permit him to grow up a well-adjusted individual, comfortable in either community.Gardner (1985) distinguished between the active and passive role contend by parents. The active role includes parental encouragement to succeed, monitoring of consummation and reinforcement of success (negative active roles would include agreement that a language is a waste of time or an intrusion on more important subject areas). The passive role involves parental attitudes toward the second language community, reinforcing or weakening the integrative motive. Gardner concludes that passive supports, these parental attitudinal reactions to the language community, are what are remembered most when children reflect on parental encouragement to maintain and learn a language. The support of parents should definitely be taken into account when considering language maintenance, since the fundamental cause of language loss or excoriation is failure to pass it on to the next generation.In summary, it appears that the underlying factor determining language maintenance is attitude towards the language and ethnic community. These attitudes appear to be clo sely related to sense of ethnic identity, motivation and, in particular, parental support. There is considerable evidence and weight of opinion that they are all important factors which could determine whether or not individuals or groups are likely to keep a minority language alive in themselves and/or in the community.