Evaluative reactions to minority languages and their varieties: Evidence from new speakers of West Frisian

Ruth Kircher; Ethan Kutlu; Mirjam Vellinga

doi:10.1017/S0047404523000805

Evaluative reactions to minority languages and their varieties: Evidence from new speakers of West Frisian

Ruth Kircher^*
, Ethan Kutlu
, Mirjam Vellinga

^*Corresponding author voor dit werk

Fryske Akademy (FA)

Onderzoeksoutput: Bijdrage aan wetenschappelijk tijdschrift/periodieke uitgave › Artikel › Wetenschappelijk › peer review

2 Citaten (Scopus)

Samenvatting

This is the first study to demonstrate a systematic link between (1) attitudes towards minority languages and (2) ideologies regarding the standardised varieties of minority languages that tend to be taught to new speakers – that is, individuals who are acquiring a language outside the home, typically later on in life. A questionnaire was used to elicit new speakers’ (n=264) attitudes towards West Frisian and their ideological evaluations of its standardised variety. The results revealed that status-related attitudes correlate with ideological evaluations in terms of anonymity, and solidarity-related attitudes correlate with ideological evaluations in terms of authenticity. The paper argues that more comprehensive insights can be gained if the different ontological and epistemological positions typically associated with attitudes and ideologies research are reconciled. Moreover, the Frisian context exemplifies the important implications that new speakers’ attitudinal and ideological evaluations have for language planning that aims to promote minority language revitalisation.

Originele taal-2	Engels
Pagina's (van-tot)	1-27
Tijdschrift	Language in Society
Volume	54
Nummer van het tijdschrift	2
Vroegere onlinedatum	05 okt. 2023
DOI's	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047404523000805
Status	Gepubliceerd - apr. 2025

Keywords

language attitudes
language ideologies
minority languages
language planning
revitalisation
language transmission
new speakers

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10.1017/S0047404523000805Licentie: CC BY-NC-SA

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title = "Evaluative reactions to minority languages and their varieties: Evidence from new speakers of West Frisian",

abstract = "Little is known about the connection between individuals{\textquoteright} evaluative reactions to (i) minority languages as such, and (ii) specific varieties of these minority languages. This study investigates such evaluative reactions amongst new speakers of Frisian in the Netherlands (n = 264). A questionnaire was used to elicit participants{\textquoteright} attitudes towards the Frisian language and their evaluations of the specific variety of Frisian they were taught. The results reveal a significant correlation between participants{\textquoteright} status-related attitudes towards Frisian and their anonymity-related evaluations of the variety they were taught—as well as between participants{\textquoteright} solidarity-related attitudes towards Frisian and their authenticity-related evaluations of the variety they were taught. The former are close to neutral; the latter are mildly positive. The article discusses how these results not only advance our general understanding of language in society, but also facilitate the development of more comprehensive science communication to inform revitalisation strategies in minority contexts. (Language attitudes, language ideologies, minority languages, language planning, language revitalisation, language transmission, new speakers)",

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author = "Ruth Kircher and Ethan Kutlu and Mirjam Vellinga",

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doi = "10.1017/S0047404523000805",

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AU - Kutlu, Ethan

AU - Vellinga, Mirjam

PY - 2025/4

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N2 - Little is known about the connection between individuals’ evaluative reactions to (i) minority languages as such, and (ii) specific varieties of these minority languages. This study investigates such evaluative reactions amongst new speakers of Frisian in the Netherlands (n = 264). A questionnaire was used to elicit participants’ attitudes towards the Frisian language and their evaluations of the specific variety of Frisian they were taught. The results reveal a significant correlation between participants’ status-related attitudes towards Frisian and their anonymity-related evaluations of the variety they were taught—as well as between participants’ solidarity-related attitudes towards Frisian and their authenticity-related evaluations of the variety they were taught. The former are close to neutral; the latter are mildly positive. The article discusses how these results not only advance our general understanding of language in society, but also facilitate the development of more comprehensive science communication to inform revitalisation strategies in minority contexts. (Language attitudes, language ideologies, minority languages, language planning, language revitalisation, language transmission, new speakers)

AB - Little is known about the connection between individuals’ evaluative reactions to (i) minority languages as such, and (ii) specific varieties of these minority languages. This study investigates such evaluative reactions amongst new speakers of Frisian in the Netherlands (n = 264). A questionnaire was used to elicit participants’ attitudes towards the Frisian language and their evaluations of the specific variety of Frisian they were taught. The results reveal a significant correlation between participants’ status-related attitudes towards Frisian and their anonymity-related evaluations of the variety they were taught—as well as between participants’ solidarity-related attitudes towards Frisian and their authenticity-related evaluations of the variety they were taught. The former are close to neutral; the latter are mildly positive. The article discusses how these results not only advance our general understanding of language in society, but also facilitate the development of more comprehensive science communication to inform revitalisation strategies in minority contexts. (Language attitudes, language ideologies, minority languages, language planning, language revitalisation, language transmission, new speakers)

KW - language attitudes

KW - language ideologies

KW - minority languages

KW - language planning

KW - revitalisation

KW - language transmission

KW - new speakers

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DO - 10.1017/S0047404523000805

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Evaluative reactions to minority languages and their varieties: Evidence from new speakers of West Frisian

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Keywords

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