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2016 Vol. 1, No. 1
Published: 2016-01-10

 
1 On Language Life
Li Yuming
2016 Vol. 1 (1): 1-1 [Abstract] ( 0 ) HTML (1 KB)  PDF  (0 KB)  ( 0 )
5 Language and Language Life from the Philosophical Perspective
2016 Vol. 1 (1): 5-15 [Abstract] ( 0 ) HTML (1 KB)  PDF  (0 KB)  ( 0 )
16 Language Zones and Language Use Patterns in Ethnic Minority Regions of China
Ma Rong

Many languages of China’s ethnic minorities belong to different language families and they are distinct from each other in linguistic typology,which hinders the communication and interaction among ethnic groups.With the development of a market economy and growing population mobility,there is a remarkable increase of communication among ethnic groups.Moreover,the requirements of the urban labor market enhance people’s command of the national common language.In order to improve the employment situation for ethnic minorities as well as to promote contact and exchanges among them,the government is actively promoting “Bilingual Education” in border areas.Considering the long-term prospects for China’s development,the government needs to investigate the trend of language learning in and out of schools,and propose plans accordingly.Using a study of language and identity in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and its affi liated Kashgar Prefecture as a case,this article proposes the concepts of an “Ethnic Culture Segment”,a “Daily Use Language Zone”,and a “Learning and Employment Language Zone”.These concepts can be useful in carrying out bilingual education in autonomous and schools in line with local conditions.

2016 Vol. 1 (1): 16-24 [Abstract] ( 0 ) HTML (1 KB)  PDF  (0 KB)  ( 0 )
25 Ethnic Language Identity in China
Huang Xing
Language identity and ethnic identity are interrelated.Language has various functions and thus plays different roles in identity construction.A national common language,for instance,functions as a common tool for communication and may construct a national identity,whereas dialects and ethnic languages can be more useful in constructing a cultural identity and for maintaining social rights.In addition,people who speak dialects or minority languages,and people who live in a multilingual environment,may show stronger language identity awareness than those who only speak the dominant languages,or those who use the languages of the majority population,and those who live in a monolingual environment.In this article,a number of studies are reviewed,including studies in the areas of national common language,regional dialects,and ethnic minority languages,and the related issues suchas language rights and cultural functions are discussed and problematized.Given the fact that the national language and ethnic languages have different social functions,for achieving language identity harmony we can improve the national language status with marketoriented policies,and protect the languages rights of the ethnic minority communities with non-market incentives.
2016 Vol. 1 (1): 25-32 [Abstract] ( 0 ) HTML (1 KB)  PDF  (0 KB)  ( 0 )
33 Languages Use in Macau and Linguistic Identities among Macau Youth
Qin Yewei and Xu Jie
Due to its unique historical background and linguistic diversity,Macau is known as a typical multilingual metropolis,which has earned it the name of “a live language museum”.Its extremely complicated multilingual ecology and relatively isolated geographical environment make up a rare research sample for the study of linguistic identity and language competition.This paper argues that linguistic identity is the speaker’s psychological positioning of the relations between a speaker and a certain language or dialect.A speaker’s identifi cation with different languages has a noticeable impact on his or her language attitudes and linguistic performance.Also,linguistic identity is closely associated with regional identity and cultural identity.Among the four languages spoken in Macau,young people tend to mostly identify with Cantonese,which is not only a mother tongue,but also the language for daily communication both in domestic settings and workplaces;it is also an ethnic symbol and an official language.The other three languages receive less cultural and ethnic identifi cation,and their functions are differentiated.Most Macau youths regard Portuguese as an offi cial language and the second foreign language,Putonghua as the national language,whereas English is seen as their fi rst foreign language.
2016 Vol. 1 (1): 33-41 [Abstract] ( 0 ) HTML (1 KB)  PDF  (0 KB)  ( 0 )
42 Linguistic Landscape and Ethnic Identity of Chinese Ethnic Communities in Indonesia—A Study in Batam,Pontianak,and Pekanbaru
Liu Hui
This article investigates the ethnic identity construction of the overseas Chinese communities living in Batam,Pontianak,and Pekanbaru,Indonesia,from the perspective of a minority linguistic landscape.The present research includes four aspects:the content analysis of public billboards and ethnic awareness;the parameter analysis of the codes used in public billboards and the ethnic attitudes;the word sequence analysis of public billboards and the behavior patterns;and the function of public billboards and ethnic identity.The research used 196 questionnaires and interviewed 110 ethnic Chinese Indonesians.The results show a strong consistency in the ethnic identity,language attitude,and language ability,which in turn indicates that Chinese speech communities have been developed in these regions.Furthermore,it shows that the linguistic landscape is an important aspect in evaluating the formation of a speech community in an ethnic minority group because the ethnolinguistic landscape can serve as an important means of reinforcing ethnolinguistic vitality and establishing ethnic identity.
2016 Vol. 1 (1): 42-49 [Abstract] ( 0 ) HTML (1 KB)  PDF  (0 KB)  ( 0 )
50 Discursive Identity Construction of Urban “New Immigrants”
Dong Jie
This research addresses the notion of discursive identity construction in the analysis of two ethnographic case studies,in order to shed new light on the social and linguistic practices of the “new citizens” in urban China.The new citizens include two groups:rural-urban labor migrants and educated “elite” migrants.The ethnographic studies are,therefore,elicited from two cases of ethnographic fi eldwork.The results show that the urban new citizens switch between different dialects,accents,and linguistic styles and construct multiple identities.The research further demonstrates that identity is a process of construction in which achieved identity is as important as ascribed identity.
2016 Vol. 1 (1): 50-55 [Abstract] ( 0 ) HTML (1 KB)  PDF  (0 KB)  ( 0 )
64 Perspectives on “Language and Identity”
Lian Yihui
2016 Vol. 1 (1): 64-71 [Abstract] ( 0 ) HTML (1 KB)  PDF  (0 KB)  ( 0 )
72 A Review of Research on Language and Identity in China
Zhou Qingsheng

How does language reflect and affect identity? How does language construct and maintain identity? And to what extent does language construct and maintain identity? These have been important issues in the field of language identity for a long time.In the past decades,Chinese scholars tried to answer these questions by focusing on the following six aspects:(1)the connotations of language identity,(2) social language and identity,(3) educational language and identity,(4)language and identity of migrant workers,(5)minority language andidentity,(6)overseas Chinese language andidentity.This article is a literature review that provides acomprehensive review of the relevant research on domestic and overseas Chinese,including the research progress and trends,major achievements and fields,the main methods and contributions.In the foreseeable future,the study of these six areas will remain very popular;however,the research in these areas calls for new methods,new paradigms,new approaches,and ethnography emerges as a promising alternative for the analysis of language and identity,which are conducive to examing “mindsets” of language users.A lot remains to be done in this field.

2016 Vol. 1 (1): 72-79 [Abstract] ( 0 ) HTML (1 KB)  PDF  (0 KB)  ( 0 )
80 An Overview of International Research on Language and Ethnic Identity (2010-2015)
Yin Xiaorong

The relations between language and ethnic identity as a research area have a long history and have drawn increasing attention from scholars with different interests and expertise.Having applied a data-driven approach and textual analysis,this study attempts to investigate the international literature (in English) published from 2010 till 2015 with the purpose of informing domestic researchers of the latest development in other languages and cultures.The study shows that the work of international researchers manifests a number of features including logistic cohesion in conceptualization,cognitive orientation,in addition to an interdisciplinary nature and methodological multiplicity.The fi ndings revealed in this study go beyond the interest in relationships between language and identity,language and psychological identity,language and multi-layered identity;their efforts extend to language style innovation and multiple identity as well.I attribute the findings to the following reasons:The awareness of identity compositions,the match of identifi cation and behavior,the integration,transformation and expression of multiple identities,and the formation of a pluralist epistemological view.This study concludes with the suggestion that the local researchers should hold a critical view of what has been achieved abroad,thereby furthering theoretical research through domestic collaboration and resource utilization.

2016 Vol. 1 (1): 80-87 [Abstract] ( 0 ) HTML (1 KB)  PDF  (0 KB)  ( 0 )
91 On the Chinese School of LPP Studies: A Book Review of Introduction to Language Planning
Zhao Ronghui
2016 Vol. 1 (1): 91-96 [Abstract] ( 0 ) HTML (1 KB)  PDF  (0 KB)  ( 0 )
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