Noels, K. A., Kil, H., & Yang, F.
(2014). Ethnolinguistic orientation and language variation: Measuring and
archiving ethnolinguisitc vitality, attitudes, and identity. Language and Linguistics Compass, 8, 618-628.
doi:10.1111/lnc3.12105
Ethnolinguistic vitality, attitudes and
identity have indeed received a lot of attention from various authors over the
past four decades (p. 620). In this particular report, Noels and her team
indexed studies that were used from the earliest consideration of ethnicity and
language to what it is today. Furthermore, they suggested to having the studies
archived to have a corpus dedicated for the field.
Upon examination, past and present
studies expose several points of improvement. The long standing ethnolinguistic vitality
(ELV) framework was later deemed to lack the communicative competence and
language use, thus subjective perception of ethnolinguistic vitality (SELV)
emerged; and the Subjective Vitality Questionnaire (SVQ) as its instrument (p.
620). However, SVQ was found out to be unidimensional, i.e., not measuring
discrete latent variables of language vitality perceptions (p. 621). More
recent studies showed more complex developments, which include psychological
(p. 622), attitudinal (pp. 623-624), allegiance-acculturation
(p. 624), and situational considerations (pp. 625) as variables.
Strikingly, the team favored quantitative
research (p. 619). Though it seemed that the trend in research in the
Philippines, as for my experience, tends to curve towards qualitative research,
this is a revelation that it is not always appropriate. This is because it can
“concisely document variables of interest”. Also, the presentation of language
stereotypes (pp. 622-623) strikes a new note to my ears. It is not that I
haven’t observed it before. It is the thought of the possibility that simple
inquiries can be structured and researched is encouraging.
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