LANGUAGE MAINTENANCE IN INTER-ETHNIC COUPLES
A Thesis
Submitted to the English Applied Linguistics Study Program Postgraduate School in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of
Magister Humaniora
By:
VIVI NOVALIA SITINJAK
Registration Number: 8106111041
ENGLISH APPLIED LINGUISTICS STUDY PROGRAM
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
STATE UNIVERSITY OF MEDAN
LANGUAGE MAINTENANCE IN INTER-ETHNIC COUPLES
A Thesis
Submitted to the English Applied Linguistics Study Program Postgraduate School in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of
Magister Humaniora
By:
VIVI NOVALIA SITINJAK
Registration Number: 8106111041
ENGLISH APPLIED LINGUISTICS STUDY PROGRAM
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
STATE UNIVERSITY OF MEDAN
ABSTRAK
Sitinjak, Vivi Novalia. LanguageMaintenance in inter-ethnic couples (Pemertahanan bahasa pada pasangan beda suku). Tesis. Program Studi Linguistik Terapan Bahasa Inggris. Sekolah Pasca Sarjana Universitas Negeri Medan 2013.
ABSTRACT
Sitinjak, Vivi Novalia. Language maintenance in inter-ethnic couples.Thesis.Applied Linguistics Study Program.Graduate School.The State University of Medan. 2013.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.4 The significance of the study….………...…...…….…4
1.5 The scope of the study….……….4
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL CONCEPTS………..….…...…...6
2.1 Language maintenance in bilingualism………...……….………...6
2.2 Language maintenance and language contact……….…………...7
2.3 Language maintenance…..………..………...8
2.4 The relationship between language shift and language maintenance…15 2.5 Inter-ethnic couples and language maintenance …………...….…..…17
2.6 Steps in maintaining the language…………...……….…...20
2.7 The Inter-ethnic communication culture...22
2.7.1 The Batak attitude to their language………..……….……...29
2.7.2 The Javanese attitude to their language…..….…………...…...29
2.8 The position of gender in inter-ethnic couples…………..……..……32
2.9 Conceptual framework...………..………..33
CHAPTER III MEHOD OF RESEARCH...……….……….…..34
3.1 The research design………..……...……….34
3.2 The data and instrument of data collection………...…….34
3.5 Trustworthiness of data……….………35
CHAPTER IV DATA ANALYSIS,RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION.39 4.1 Data Analysis……….… ………...39
4.1.1 Factors affecting language maintenance in inter-ethnic couples.. 40
4.1.1.1 Attitude, value, and identity……….. 40
4.1.1.2 Social factor……….………...57
4.1.1.3 Religion factor………,,,,,,……64
4.1.1.4 Demographic factor………..…………67
4.1.2 The ways in maintaining vernacular language………...73
4.1.2.3 Reason of choosing that way………..83
4.2 Research Findings………....84
4.3 Discussion………....85
4.3.1 Attitude, value, and identity factor………....…..85
4.3.2 The ways in maintaining vernacular language…………..…..…..86
4.3.3 Reason of choosing those ways……….87 CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTION………..….89
5.1 Conclusions……….………..…………89
5.2 Suggestion………90
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Background of the Study
The data above are supported by the data of language shift which is happened in Indonesia from 1980-2008. In comparing the data from 1980 and 1990, the number of Javanese users in daily conversation decreased until 16.3 percent, whereas the number of Indonesian users in daily conversation increased until 38.9 percent. The grandparents who use Indonesian are 11 percent. Parents who use Indonesian to their children are 13 percent. Children who speak Indonesian to their friends are 65 percent. In 1998, Indonesian users increased 65 percent. From 2001 to 2007, the Indonesian users increased until 87 percent. Grandparents who speak Indonesian are 15 percent and who speak Javanese language are 2 percent. Parents who speak Indonesian are 20 percent and who speak Javanese are 7 percent. Children who speak Indonesian are 65 percent and who speak Javanese are 20 percent.In 2008, the number of Indonesians who can speak their national language well is over 90 percent. Grandparents who speak Indonesian are 42 percent. Parents who speak Indonesian are 46 percent and children who speak Indonesian are 75 percent ( Ahmad in Gunawan 2008).
Those data show that the language shift happens in Indonesia continually. Weinreich (1968) defines that languageshift is often used to refer to change at a community level and the terms language loss or non-acquisition of language areused in reference to an individual’s declining or infrequent use of a group’s original language with concurrent increased or dominant
2005). So, maintaining the language is important. It is supported by Holmes (2002), he said that Language as a symbol of ethnic identity which must be maintained.
The previous researcher, Simon Musgrave from Monash University, discussed language shift and language maintenance in Indonesia.But the explanation which is given by him is not clear enough. That is the first reason why the writer chooses language maintenance as her topic. And the second reason, Indonesia consists of many ethnics and languages. So, there is a tendency to be happened inter-ethnic marriage. Inter-ethnic marriages are a combination of two people from different ethnics and languages also. It means that there are two languages exist in inter-ethnic marriage couples. The existence of two languages means the competition between two languages. So, the writer is interested in investigating this phenomenon. It is also because the writer’s parents are inter-ethnic couple: Father is Javanese and mother is Batak. In fact, in communication, sometimes the writer’s parents use Indonesia language and sometimes they use
Batak language, they never use Javanese. That is why the writer is interested in investigating language maintenance in inter-ethnic couples.
1.2 The Problems of the Study
Based on the above background of the study, the problems of the study areformulated as follows:
1. What is the dominant factoraffecting language maintenance in inter-ethnic couples? 2. How do inter-ethnic couples maintain their vernacular?
1.3The Objectives of the Study
Based on the problems of the study above, the objectives of this study are:
1. to find out the factors for language maintenance in inter-ethnic couples in Medan. 2. to find out the processof language maintenance in inter-ethnic couples.
3. to find out the reason for their ways in maintaining language.
1.4 The Scope of the Study
This study only focuses on the language maintenance in inter-ethnic couples in Medan. It will be conducted only for Javenese (husband)-Batak (wife) and Batak (husband)-Javanese (wife).
1.5 The Significance of the Study
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
5.1 Conclusions
The study which is concerned on language maintenance in inter ethnic couples was aimed to described the factors influence language maintenance in inter-ethnic couples, the ways in maintaining the language and the reasons in choosing the ways. The conclusions are drawn as the following:
1. In general, attitude, value, identity factor, social factor, religion factor and demographic factor are the factors which influencing language maintenance in inter-ethnic couples. Attitude, value and identity factor is found in six couples. Then, social factor is found in four factors. Next, Religion factor is found in two subjects. Finally, demographic factor is found in one subject. Thus, attitude, value and identity factor is the most dominant factor in this study. It is seen from the number of subjects which influencing by this factor. 2. Informal education, participation in social fields, and bringing children to visiting
homeland are the ways which are chosen to maintain the language by inter-ethnic couples. Informal education is choosen by four subjects. Next, participating in social fields is choosen by all couples. Finally, visiting homeland is choosen by five couples. 3. They choose those ways because they want to prevent the children get clumsiness in
5.2Suggestions
Dealing with the findings, suggestions are stated as following:
1. It is suggested that parents should motivate their positive attitude to their languages. 2. It is suggested that children should have attitude to the vernacular language.
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