Identity among bilinguals

An ecolinguistic approach

Authors

  • Peter Hans Nelde Catholic University Brussels Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.v1i1.41

Keywords:

identity building, autochtonous minority groups, identity conflicts, language planning

Abstract

Identity building among speakers of 'lesser used languages' is, in many aspects, incomparable among european minority groups, since many differing research approaches characterize the ethnolinguistic and cultural identities of minorities. In the same way, as contact linguistics by means of the Euromosaic report has revealed, there are several entirely different european language policies within the EU, and as a consequence, the identity of minority speakers has been defined in different ways depending on the nation state concepts of the EU member states. We would like to discuss some internal and external aspects of identity conflicts which can be observed among autochtonous minority members in Europe. It will be shown that these features are of prime importance for the construction of a cultural-linguistic identity within those minority groups who are trying to avoid assimilation through identity building, meanwhile they are trying to be socialized citizens, and accepted by the majority speakers. Can such identity conflicts be overcome by means of effective language planning?

References

Coulmas, F. (1992). A Language Policy for the European Community. Berlin: De Gruyter.

Haarmann, H. (1986). Language in Ethnicity. Berlin: De Gruyter.

Haugen, E. (1966). Language Conflict and Language Planning. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Nelde, P. (ed.) (1980). Langues en contact et en conflit. Wiesbaden: Steiner.

__ (1984). “Sprachokologische uberlegungen am beispiel altbelgiens”. In E. Oksaar (ed.). Spracherwerb-Sprachkontakt-SprachkonfRikt. Berlin: De Gruyter, 167-79.

Nelde, P., H. Goebl & Z. Starý (eds.) (1996/1997). Contact Linguistics (2 vols.). Berlin: De Gruyter.

Nelde, P., M. Strubell & G. Williams (1996). Euromosaic. Luxembourg: European Commission.

Published

2000-04-01

How to Cite

Nelde, P. H. (2000). Identity among bilinguals: An ecolinguistic approach. Sociolinguistic Studies, 1(1), 41-46. https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.v1i1.41

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