{"title":"The dynamics of bilingualism in language shift ecologies","authors":"L. Grenoble, Boris Osipov","doi":"10.1075/lab.22035.gre","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"\n A large percentage of the world’s languages – anywhere from 50 to 90% – are currently spoken in what we call shift\n ecologies, situations of unstable bi- or multilingualism where speakers, and in particular younger speakers, do not use their\n ancestral language but rather speak the majority language. The present paper addresses several interrelated questions with regard\n to the linguistic effects of bilingualism in such shift ecologies. These language ecologies are dynamic: language choices and\n preferences change, as do speakers’ proficiency levels. One result is multiple kinds of variation in these endangered language\n communities. Understanding change and shift requires a methodology for establishing a baseline; descriptive grammars rarely\n provide information about usage and multilingual language practices. An additional confounder is a range of linguistic variation:\n regional (dialectal); generational (language-internal change without contact or shift);\n contact-based (contact with or without shift); and proficiency-based (variation which\n develops as a result of differing levels of input and usage). Widespread, ongoing language shift today provides opportunities to\n examine the linguistic changes exhibited by shifting speakers, that is, to zero in on language change and loss in process, rather\n than as an end product.","PeriodicalId":48664,"journal":{"name":"Linguistic Approaches To Bilingualism","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8000,"publicationDate":"2023-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"19","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Linguistic Approaches To Bilingualism","FirstCategoryId":"98","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1075/lab.22035.gre","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"0","JCRName":"LANGUAGE & LINGUISTICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 19
Abstract
A large percentage of the world’s languages – anywhere from 50 to 90% – are currently spoken in what we call shift
ecologies, situations of unstable bi- or multilingualism where speakers, and in particular younger speakers, do not use their
ancestral language but rather speak the majority language. The present paper addresses several interrelated questions with regard
to the linguistic effects of bilingualism in such shift ecologies. These language ecologies are dynamic: language choices and
preferences change, as do speakers’ proficiency levels. One result is multiple kinds of variation in these endangered language
communities. Understanding change and shift requires a methodology for establishing a baseline; descriptive grammars rarely
provide information about usage and multilingual language practices. An additional confounder is a range of linguistic variation:
regional (dialectal); generational (language-internal change without contact or shift);
contact-based (contact with or without shift); and proficiency-based (variation which
develops as a result of differing levels of input and usage). Widespread, ongoing language shift today provides opportunities to
examine the linguistic changes exhibited by shifting speakers, that is, to zero in on language change and loss in process, rather
than as an end product.
期刊介绍:
LAB provides an outlet for cutting-edge, contemporary studies on bilingualism. LAB assumes a broad definition of bilingualism, including: adult L2 acquisition, simultaneous child bilingualism, child L2 acquisition, adult heritage speaker competence, L1 attrition in L2/Ln environments, and adult L3/Ln acquisition. LAB solicits high quality articles of original research assuming any cognitive science approach to understanding the mental representation of bilingual language competence and performance, including cognitive linguistics, emergentism/connectionism, generative theories, psycholinguistic and processing accounts, and covering typical and atypical populations.