2. Essay Question
Examine at least 2 models of studies of Language
Maintenance and Language Shift in the literature
such as Domain Analysis and Social Network
Analysis and use them in the current issue of
language maintenance, shift, loss or death in a
group or community.
3. Analysis of essay
question
Define language maintenance, shift and death.
Explain how they are related.
Provide examples.
Compare and contrast arguments.
Case study 1 – Domain Analysis.
Case study 2 - Social Network Analysis.
Conclusion.
4. Definitions
LANGUAGE MAINTENANCE – Language
maintenance refers to the conscious effort in
preserving and sustaining a language
LANGUAGE SHIFT –The process by which
speakers of a language gradually replace it with
another language. It can occur in situations of
language contact when more than one language
share a geographical space or in immigrate and
indigenous communities.
LANGUAGE DEATH – When the last speaker of a
language dies or no longer uses the language.
5. Do these
conceptsOverlap?
The concepts of language maintenance (LM),
language shift (LS) and language death (LD)
definitelyoverlapand relate to one another at
certain stages. For instance, if people around the
world were not participating in maintaining their
native language then the world would experience
more circumstances of language death. Whilst in
some cases language death occurs due to people
engaging in language shift.
For this reason LM, LS and LD usually will not
occur without some sort of connection with one
another at some point in time.
6. Domain Analysis
Domains are where languages are used; a
language can be used in many domains; such as,
work, home, family, school, and media.
The dominant language is the one used in all the
domains, for instance in Australia it is English.
Case study 1 - Will look at why indigenous
languagesare not as common in Australia now
compared to the past, and what is causing
Indigenous languages to die in Australia?
7. Facts about Australian
Indigenous languages
There has been a decrease in the percentage of
people speaking indigenous languages from 100% in
1800 to 13% in 1996.
Less than half of the 250-300 Indigenous languages
spoken when the Europeans arrived have survived,
and fewer than two dozen are being actively passed
on to younger generations at present.
Many Aboriginal people speak English as their third
or even fourth language.
All Australian Indigenous languages are likely to
become extinct within the next generation.
8. Social Network Analysis
Social networks are generally ‘anchored’ to
individuals, thus meaning when an individual has
direct and regular contact with another individual
through language.
Case study 2 – Will look at the languages used in
my friends Indigenous community of Looma. I will
discuss with Lewis about how they maintain their
native languages and if he has noticed a decline in
the use of his native language.
9. Aims of Essay
Highlight how Indigenous languages in Australia are
nearing extinction.
Explain the reasons behind the decline in Indigenous
language use.
Express the views of an indigenous individual who
lives in a remote community and uses native
indigenous languages.
Find answers as to what is being done about the
issues raised in this essay.
