Accepting a “New” Standard Variety: Comparing Explicit Attitudes in Luxembourg and Belgium

Judit Vari,Marco Tamburelli

doi:10.3390/languages6030134

Abstract

Language maintenance efforts aim to bolster attitudes towards endangered languages by providing them with a standard variety as a means to raise their status and prestige. However, the introduced variety can vary in its degrees of standardisation. This paper investigates whether varying degrees of standardisation surface in explicit attitudes towards standard varieties in endangered vernacular speech communities. Following sociolinguistic models of standardisation, we suggest that explicit attitudes towards the standard variety indicate its acceptance in vernacular speech communities, reflecting its overall degree of standardisation. We use the standardised Attitudes towards Language (AtoL) questionnaire to investigate explicit attitudes towards the respective standard varieties in two related vernacular speech communities—the Belgische Eifel in Belgium and the Éislek in Luxembourg. The vernacular of these speech communities, Moselle Franconian, is considered generally vulnerable (UNESCO), and the two speech communities have opted to introduce different standard varieties: Standard Luxembourgish in Luxembourg shows lower degrees of standardisation and is only partially implemented. In contrast, Standard German in the Belgian speech community is highly standardised and completely implemented. Results show that degrees of standardisation surface in speakers’ explicit attitudes. Our findings have important implications for the role of standardisation in language maintenance efforts.

Highlights

IntroductionLanguage maintenance efforts aim to bolster the vitality of endangered languages through a number of interventions, often including the introduction of a standard variety into the endangered speech community (e.g., Grenoble and Whaley 2005; Lane et al 2018)
Language maintenance efforts aim to bolster the vitality of endangered languages through a number of interventions, often including the introduction of a standard variety into the endangered speech community (e.g., Grenoble and Whaley 2005; Lane et al 2018).It is generally agreed within language maintenance research that the prestige and functions associated with a standard variety benefit its endangered vernaculars by improving attitudes which, in turn, bolsters usage and vitality (Fishman 1991, 2001; Lewis and Simons 2010)
We suggest that explicit attitudes towards the respective standard variety, i.e., Standard German or Standard Luxembourgish, will indicate its acceptance in Luxembourg or Belgium, reflecting its overall degree of standardisation

Summary

Introduction

Language maintenance efforts aim to bolster the vitality of endangered languages through a number of interventions, often including the introduction of a standard variety into the endangered speech community (e.g., Grenoble and Whaley 2005; Lane et al 2018). It is generally agreed within language maintenance research that the prestige and functions associated with a standard variety benefit its endangered vernaculars by improving attitudes which, in turn, bolsters usage and vitality (Fishman 1991, 2001; Lewis and Simons 2010). This assumption is corroborated by an abundance of studies showing that speakers hold more positive attitudes towards a standard variety compared to its vernacular (Giles and Marlow 2011; Milroy 1991; Preston 1989; Rosseel et al 2018)

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