Language Maintenance and Shift

What motivates some linguistic minorities to maintain their language? Why do others shift away from it rather quickly? Are there specific conditions - environmental or personal - influencing these dynamics? What can families and communities do to pass on their 'threatened' language to the next generation? These and related questions are investigated in detail in Language Maintenance and Shift. In this fascinating book, Anne Pauwels analyses the patterns of language use exhibited by individuals and groups living in multilingual societies, and explores their efforts to maintain their heritage or minority language. She explores the various methods used to analyse language maintenance, from linguistic demography to linguistic biography, and offers guidance on how to research the language patterns and practices of linguistic minorities around the world.

Author: Anne Pauwels
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 08/18/2016
Pages: 220
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.86lbs
Size: 8.88h x 5.54w x 0.66d
ISBN: 9781107043695

About the Author
Pauwels, Anne: - Anne Pauwels is Professor of Sociolinguistics at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.