Journal of the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (Jan 2014)
Meso-American Languages: An Investigation of Variety, Maintenance, and Implications for Linguistic Survival
Abstract
Forty-five Meso-American language speakers, speaking thirteen Meso-American languages, were interviewed in the agricultural region in and around Colquitt County, Georgia. Language shift is common among such displaced immigrant populations (Fishman, 1967), specifically among less-dominant languages (Paulstone, 1994) such as Meso-American languages. The study used oral survey methods to record demographic data concerning MesoAmerican language speakers and the diversity of Meso-American languages spoken. The interviewers surveyed the use of and attitudes towards English, Meso-American languages, and Spanish among the speakers and their children (or hypothetical children). These responses documented language links to dominant socio-economic forces and generational language maintenance. The findings, such as differing rates for desired vs. reported language maintenance among the population, contribute to the national picture of Meso-American language maintenance among Meso-American speakers in the United States. The results of the study predict a gradual Meso-American language shift, but there was strong sentimentality for Meso-American languages. Such findings present implications to help stabilize language shift for those in common contact with Meso-American speakers in the United States, such as teachers and health workers, as well as MesoAmerican speakers themselves.
