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Article published In: Language Problems and Language Planning
Vol. 49:1 (2025) ► pp.48–78

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Unraveling the impact of sociocultural factors on Indigenous heritage language proficiency in Taiwan

The crucial mediating role of heritage language input

 | Shih Hsin University
 | Academia Sinica
 | Academia Sinica
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 4.0 license.

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Published online: 5 June 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.00127.liu
Abstract
Existing studies indicate the influence of specific sociocultural factors on Indigenous heritage language (HL) proficiency in Taiwan. Within the HL empirical account, the influence of external sociocultural factors on Taiwan’s Indigenous HL proficiency is suggested to be indirect. Meanwhile, the HL input quantity has been found crucial for explaining variations in individuals’ HL proficiencies. The present study investigates whether HL input quantity mediates the relationship between specific sociocultural factors and Indigenous HL proficiency in Taiwan. 1,548 valid questionnaires were collected between June 2013 and October 2014. Findings showed that the sociocultural influences on Indigenous HL proficiency were partially mediated through the HL use in family and non-family domains. The decline in HL proficiency was mainly attributed to diminishing HL input, driven by the dramatic changes in Formosan society, including longer out-migration periods, higher intermarriage rates with Han people, and increased conversion to Han religions.
摘要
現有研究已顯示了特定社會文化因素對台灣原住民族語力的影響。這些社會文化因素在語言學習結果的理論模型中，對原住民族語語言能力的影響被認為間接的。已知族語輸入量對解釋不同程度的族語能力相當重要；同時，這些因素可以直接解釋族語輸入量的差異。本研究採用多變量分析而非單變量，透過族語輸入量為中介變項，調查了重要的台灣社會文化變項與原住民族語口說能力之間的關係。2013年6月至2014年10月間，我們收集了來自台灣八個原住民族的1,548份有效問卷。本研究發現家庭和非家庭領域中的族語輸入量在關鍵社會文化因素（即宏觀人口規模、現代化的外移時長，以及漢化的通婚與宗教）與台灣原住民實測的族語聽說能力之間存在著部份中介效應。族語能力的下降主要可歸因於族語輸入量的減少，而此一減少又受到數個社會急遽變遷因素的驅動，包括外移時間的拉長、與漢族通婚率上升，以及改信漢人宗教的比例增加。
Abstraktaĵo
Malnodi la efikon de socikulturaj faktoroj sur kapablon pri indiĝenaj heredaĵaj lingvoj en Tajvano: La esenca interhelpa rolo de kontribuoj de heredaĵaj lingvoj
Jam ekzistantaj studoj indikas la influon de specifaj socikulturaj faktoroj je kapablo pri heredaĵaj lingvoj (HL) en Tajvano. Estas sugestite, laŭ la empiria klarigo, ke la influo de eksteraj socikulturaj faktoroj je kapablo pri tajvanaj indiĝenaj HL estas nedirekta. Samtempe, oni trovis, ke la kvanto de la HL-kontribuo estas esenca por klarigi variojn en la HL-kapabloj de individuoj. La nuna studo esploras ĉu la kvanto de HL-kontribuoj difinas la rilaton inter specifaj socikulturaj faktoroj kaj indiĝena HL-kapablo en Tajvano. Oni kolektis 1548 validajn demandarojn inter junio 2013 kaj oktobro 2014. Ili montris, ke la socikulturaj influoj je indiĝena HL-kapablo estis parte perataj per HL-uzado en familiaj kaj nefamiliaj domajnoj. Malaltiĝo de HL-kapablo estis ĉefe atribuita al reduktiĝanta HL-enmeto, rezulte de dramecaj ŝanĝoj en la Formoza socio, inkluzive de pli longaj formigraj periodoj, pli altaj niveloj de intergeedziĝo kun hananoj, kaj kreskanta konvertiĝo al hanaj religioj.
Article outline
  • Background
    • Historical development of Formosan peoples and languages
    • Modernization and sinicization in Formosan society
    • Population size as a buffer for HL endangerment
    • Heritage language input as a mediator between sociocultural factors and heritage language proficiency
  • Rationale and research framework
  • Methods
    • Questionnaire survey and participants
    • Instruments
    • Procedures
    • Statistical analyses and measurements
  • Results
    • Hierarchical multiple regression analysis
    • Process macro analysis for mediation effects
  • Discussion
    • The impact of sociocultural factors on Indigenous HL proficiency
    • The impact of sociocultural factors on HL Input
    • The mediating effect of HL input on sociocultural factors and HL proficiency
  • Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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