Family Language Attitudes of the Sibe Ethnic Group in Northwestern China
Abstract
Family is an important space for ethnic language maintenance. Parents’ attitude toward their ethnic language and bilingualism and their perception of ethnic language vitality and culture may influence children’s ethnic language attitudes and proficiency. This paper reports the intergenerational relationship between parents’ and children’s language attitudes and proficiency among a Sibe ethnic community in China. Data were collected through surveys of 148 elementary and middle school students and their parents in Chapchar Sibe Autonomous County northwestern China. The analysis revealed that while there were strong ethnic solidarity and identity in both generations, families were not well aware of the bilingual advantages. Parents’ had limited access to language educational resources, and they were not very optimistic about language use in different fields. The research suggests that parents need more agency in utilizing community resource and they need to be clearer about their role in family language use and children’s bilingual proficiency.
Time and Place
When: Thursday, August 24 | 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Where: Ponderosa Commons Multipurpose Room (Room 2012)
Admission is free, everyone is welcome!
Light refreshments will be served from 1:15 p.m.
Biostatement
Dr. Xiaorong Yin is a visiting professor from Xinjiang Normal University of China. Her areas of study mainly focus on ethnic language maintenance and family language policy concerning minority languages in Xinjiang Autonomous Region. She has been a strong advocator for family language planning and management.
Her email is : helenyin2002@sina.cn.