The sociocultural ecology of language: Difference between revisions
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=== Sociocultural resources === | === Sociocultural resources === | ||
Society, in which a certain language is spoken, can play a large part in maintaining the language. | |||
* Creating and sustaining domains where the language could be used (e.g. in everyday settings such as school, home etc.). | |||
* Language as an important tool for identity-building, which can act as a unifying (inclusive) as well as a dividing (isolating) force. | |||
* Certain cultures may have multilingualism ‘built-in’, e.g. when various languages are taught to children as part of certain traditions. | |||
* Other communities might have multilingualism forced upon them (in the form of learning a dominant language), but have no measures in place to support their own language transmission (e.g. because of stigmas or stereotypes related to speakers of a certain language in a given society). | |||
* Speakers of various languages are unique in their social and cultural backgrounds, and utilising these as resources in educational settings is considered to be beneficial. | |||
=== Related subfields of linguistics === | === Related subfields of linguistics === | ||
Revision as of 13:44, 25 November 2022
Definition: Language exists in a sociocultural ecology: this approach investigates how language relates to the social and cultural forces that shape the conditions of speakers and speech communities (Steffensen and Fill 2014:7)
Steffensen and Fill also elaborate, that “when one focuses on the sociocultural ecology of language, one sees human (linguistic) interaction that both constitutes and is constituted by larger social and societal structures that include institutions, economic processes and sociocultural resources” (2014:12).
With this in mind, we can think about what impact do the following have on language.
Institutions
standardisation and form of language, financial resources, language planning and policies, implementing formal and informal education, revitalisation, impact of 'big' languages for minor(ity) language speakers
Economic processes
financing of language programs, education, revitalisation, creation and availability of materials for all aforementioned, job market, money flow influences politics, political representation of minority speakers, economic position of minorities (exclusion from job market, poverty, less resources for language teaching)
Sociocultural resources
Society, in which a certain language is spoken, can play a large part in maintaining the language.
- Creating and sustaining domains where the language could be used (e.g. in everyday settings such as school, home etc.).
- Language as an important tool for identity-building, which can act as a unifying (inclusive) as well as a dividing (isolating) force.
- Certain cultures may have multilingualism ‘built-in’, e.g. when various languages are taught to children as part of certain traditions.
- Other communities might have multilingualism forced upon them (in the form of learning a dominant language), but have no measures in place to support their own language transmission (e.g. because of stigmas or stereotypes related to speakers of a certain language in a given society).
- Speakers of various languages are unique in their social and cultural backgrounds, and utilising these as resources in educational settings is considered to be beneficial.
Related subfields of linguistics
Suggested research questions
References
Steffensen, S. V. and A. Fill (2014, jan). Ecolinguistics: the state of the art and future horizons. Language Sciences 41, 6–25.
