Article published In: Language Problems and Language Planning
Vol. 44:2 (2020) ► pp.170–199
Sources of variation in attitudes toward minority, majority and foreign language
A minority L1 perspective
Published online: 24 September 2020
https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.19023.hal
https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.19023.hal
Abstract
Vojvodina, an autonomous province in northern Serbia, is a historically multilingual and multicultural area where
multilingual education forms a cornerstone of linguistic, educational and social policy and practice: in addition to the majority
language, five minority languages are also in official use and speakers of these languages may receive education in their L1.
However, such a situation does not warrant positive attitudes toward the majority language. In fact, attitudes toward the majority
population have been shown to be less positive among minority group members who receive their education in their L1 (Veres, Valér. 2013. National attitudes of ethnic Hungarians from Romania, Slovakia, Serbia and Ukraine: A comparative perspective. Studia UBB Sociologia 58(1). 87–112.). In addition to this, the effect of environment (compact vs. diffuse) has
been shown to interact with attitudes. The paper examines the language attitudes of 423 Hungarian L1 grammar school pupils towards
(1) their (minority) mother tongue (Hungarian), (2) Serbian as the majority language and (3) English as a foreign language, based
on their value judgements and taking into account numerous variables which might prove to interact with their attitudes. The
results of the research are expected to add to the study of language attitudes in a multilingual context, to help us understand
better language situations in areas where bilingualism is promoted and to aid the implementation of coherent language
policies.
Absztrakt
Vajdaság, az észak-szerbiai autonóm tartomány, történelmileg többnyelvű és multikulturális térség, ahol a
többnyelvű oktatás a nyelvi, oktatási és szociálpolitika és gyakorlat sarokköve: a többségi nyelv mellett öt kisebbségi nyelv
hivatalosan is használatban van és beszélőik anyanyelven történő oktatásban részesülhetnek. Ez a helyzet azonban nem indokolja a
többségi nyelv iránti pozitív attitűdöt. A többségi népesség iránti attitűdök kevésbé bizonyulnak pozitívnak a kisebbségi csoport
azon tagjai körében, akik anyanyelvű oktatásban részesülnek (Veres, Valér. 2013. National attitudes of ethnic Hungarians from Romania, Slovakia, Serbia and Ukraine: A comparative perspective. Studia UBB Sociologia 58(1). 87–112.). Az előzetes
kutatások kimutatták, hogy a területi megoszlás (tömb ill. szórvány) kölcsönhatásba lép az attitűdökkel. Jelen dolgozat 423 magyar
anyanyelvű gimnáziumi diák nyelvi attitűdjeit vizsgálja (1) (kisebbségi) anyanyelvük (magyar), (2) a szerb, mint többségi nyelv,
valamint (3) az angol, mint idegen nyelv vonatkozásában, értékmegítélésük alapján és számos olyan változó figyelembevételével,
amelyek kihathatnak attitűdjeikre. A kutatás eredményei várhatóan hozzá fognak járulni a nyelvi attitűdök tanulmányozásához
többnyelvű kontextusban, segítenek megérteni a nyelvi helyzeteket azokon a területeken, ahol a kétnyelvűséget támogatják, és
elősegítik a koherens nyelvpolitikák végrehajtását.
Resumo
Vojvodino, aŭtonoma provinco en norda Serbio, estas historie multlingva kaj multkultura areo kie multlingva edukado estas fundamento de politiko kaj praktiko el vidpunktoj lingva, eduka kaj socia: krom la majoritata lingvo, kvin minoritataj lingvoj estas oficiale uzataj kaj la parolantaroj de ĉi tiuj lingvoj rajtas edukiĝi per siaj minoritataj denaskaj lingvoj. Tamen, tia situacio ne garantias aŭtomate, ke la sinteno al la majoritata lingvo estu pozitiva. Fakte, la sintenoj al la majoritato montriĝis malpli pozitivaj inter la membroj de la minoritato kiuj edukiĝis per sia denaska minoritata lingvo (Veres, Valér. 2013. National attitudes of ethnic Hungarians from Romania, Slovakia, Serbia and Ukraine: A comparative perspective. Studia UBB Sociologia 58(1). 87–112.). Krome, la efiko de la medio (kompakta kontraŭ disa) montriĝis influi la sintenojn mem. La artikolo analizas la lingvajn sintenojn de 423 infanoj kies unua lingvo estas la hungara kaj kiuj partoprenas mezlernejon. Oni analizis la sintenojn al (1) ilia (minoritata) denaska lingvo (la hungara), (2) la serba kiel majoritata lingvo kaj (3) la angla kiel fremda lingvo, laŭ iliaj prijuĝoj pri valoroj kaj konsiderante la multajn variablojn kiuj povus interagi kun iliaj sintenoj. La rezultoj de la esplorado celas aldoniĝi al la studoj pri lingvaj sintenoj en multlingvaj kuntekstoj, tiel, ke oni komprenu pli funde la lingvajn situaciojn en regionoj kie dulingvismo estas promociata kaj por konkretigi koherajn lingvopolitikojn.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Language attitudes and language learning
- 3.Language teaching in Vojvodina
- 4.Research methodology
- 4.1Participants
- 4.2Instrument
- 4.3Research design
- 5.Results
- 5.1Value judgements of Hungarian, Serbian and English
- 5.2Effects of the investigated variables on value judgements
- 6.Discussion and implications
- 7.Concluding remarks
- Notes
References
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