ERIC Number: EJ1012607
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0143-4632
EISSN: N/A
Language Shift and Vitality Perceptions amongst London's Second-Generation Bangladeshis
Rasinger, Sebastian M.
Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, v34 n1 p46-60 2013
With more than 64,500 members, the Bangladeshi community in London is one of the largest in the UK. Originating from a wave of immigration during the 1970s, a considerable part of the community now consists of a second, UK-born generation. This explorative study seeks to address, first, the extent of the intergenerational language shift from Bangla to English, and second, the patterns in Ethnolinguistic Vitality (EV) perceptions amongst a group of educated second-generation Bangladeshis. This study is located within the theoretical framework of EV. A questionnaire was used to elicit information on language usage patterns and perceptions of EV. The results suggest a strong shift from a very Bangla-centric first generation to a second generation that shows strong preferences for the use of English across all communicative domains. Bangla language maintenance seems to play a limited role even in the home/family domain--a domain that has traditionally been seen as a stronghold of minority community languages. This raises issues with regard to heritage language transmission from the second to the third generation. (Contains 2 notes and 7 tables.)
Descriptors: Asians, Foreign Countries, Language Skill Attrition, Language Maintenance, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Immigrants, Language Attitudes, Indo European Languages, Questionnaires, Language Usage, Language Role, Language Minorities, Family Environment, Educational Background
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Publication Type: Reports - Research; Journal Articles
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (London)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A