Language Endangerment, Shifting Cultural Identities and Revitalization Efforts (Published)
This article attempts to offer a broad perspective on the link between language, culture, and identity across a multiplex of social groups. The relationship between language endangerment, death, and the potential impact on cultural identity is examined. Through the analysis of four pertinent research studies, the microcosmic connection between language and cultural identity is explored in several contexts and across several cultural fields. In particular, the positive and negative effects of a person’s perceived dominant language is examined at length. The researchers conclude that language indeed impacts cultural identity, and vast collaborative efforts regarding language endangerment awareness, maintenance, and restoration need to be undertaken
Keywords: Culture, Identity, collaborative efforts, language endangerment, language maintenance, language restoration
Language Use and Language Maintenance in Ọ́lọ̀wà, Dèkínà Local Government Area, Kògí State, Nigeria (Published)
This study investigated language use and language maintenance in Ọ́lòwà, Dèkínà Local Government Area, Kògí State, Nigeria with a view to identifying the factors responsible for the use or non-use of the languages in contact, namely Ígálà, Bàssà-Ngé, and Bàssà-Kómǒ, and how the factors manifest across different socio-cultural groups in the community. Fishman’s theory on the relationship between micro- and macro-sociolinguistics, which centres around who speaks what language to whom and when, was used. One hundred respondents from each of the three language groups totaling three hundred respondents representing the different age groups, sexes, and socio-cultural classes were selected through random sampling. The data were analyzed using simple percentage to determine the extent of language use and language maintenance. The findings show that each respondent is proficient in his or her native language and in the dominant language, Ígálà. Factors responsible for this include ethnic identity consciousness, inter-ethnic relations such as marriage, economic, communal and other socio-cultural activities. Another factor is religion. This work adds to our existing knowledge of how the three languages used in the community have co-existed without any of them being endangered
Keywords: Language, Language use, Multilingualism, Proficiency, language maintenance