PIET VAN AVERMAET LANGUAGE AND THE FUTURE CENTRE FOR LANGUAGE AND MIGRATION 8-10 JULY 2004 UNIVERSITY OF LEUVEN UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF LANGUAGE SHIFT AMONGST ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS
PROBLEM Relation between social factors and language shift is often ambiguous and ambivalent PROPOSAL Introduction of intermediary theory
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Ethnolinguistic Vitality Theory - H. Giles cum suis Ethnolinguistic vitality Inter-group relations Speech accommodation Core Values Theory - J. Smolicz L’économie des Echanges Symboliques - P. Bourdieu Linguistic Market Symbolic Profit
Looking at social determinants of language shift is only relevant in a context where people have the choice between L1 and L2. Giles cum suis and Smolicz look at inter group language choice behaviour Can we speak of choice here in a migration context? Analyse INTRA group language choice behaviour Bourdieu’s theory incorporates dynamic power relations between majority and minority groups
To what extent can the theory of ’l'économie des échanges symboliques' explain intra group language choice behaviour? To what extent can the intermediary concepts derived from Bourdieu's theory account for the influence of social factors on intra group language choice behaviour? RESEARCH QUESTION
RESEARCH DESIGN SOCIOLOGICAL INTERMEDIATE LANGUAGE CHOICE PROFILE CONCEPTS BEHAVIOUR PERSONAL FACTORS ETHNIC GROUP FACTORS LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY GROUP CONTACTS ANTICIPATION IMPORTANCE OF LM2 LANGUAGE CHOICE BEHAVIOUR
100 Italians in Flanders 100 Turks in The Netherlands Questionnaires 'anticipation of acceptability of linguistic products' through indirect measuring of an individual's self assessment of language proficiency Dutch 'Importance of LM2' through indirect measuring a person's identification with own ethnic group 'Language shift' through domain related intra group language choice behaviour Observations Census data Language proficiency tests Dutch RESEARCH DESIGN
LANGUAGE SHIFT ITALIANS AND TURKS
LANGUAGE SHIFT ITALIANS
LANGUAGE SHIFT TURKS
PATH ANALYTICAL MODEL (without intermediairy concepts) Group contacts Shes Maternal background Language choice behavior
PATH ANALYTICAL MODEL (with intermediairy concepts) Group contacts Shes Maternal background Importance LM2 Anticipation Language choice behavior