- Why do you think people might want to maintain their minority language when they move to a new country? Because language is closely connected to the individual's self-esteem, identity and culture.
- What are the factors which seem to contribute to language maintenance? 1. The patterns of language use: the more domains the better. 2. Demographic factors: if minority groups lived together in isolated areas or in rural areas, this would help maintain their language. 3. Attitudes to the minority language: if the attitudes of the minority groups toward their language were positive, their language would be maintained and preserved.
- Institutional support to maintain minority languages: 1. The use of the minority language in education. 2. The right to use the language in court and other government institutions 3. the use of the minority language in places of worship 4. the use of the minority language in the media, such as radio and TV.
- provide one example on language revival. Hebrew was effectively dead for more than 1700 years before it was revived in Israel.
Book: Holmes, J. (1992). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. London: Longman.
