An Empirical Study of Heritage Language Users—Taking the Performance of Three Generation of Xi'an Hui People as An Example

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to investigate and study the inheritance and development of the inherited language of the Hui people, taking the phenomenon of the use of the inherited language among three generations of the Hui people in Xi'an as an example. The results of the survey showed that the Xi'an Hui inherited language speakers' dialects were at an intermediate level or above, their listening and speaking skills were better than their reading and writing skills, their dialects were used very frequently, and their learning attitudes and motivation were at an upper intermediate level. At the same time, the different backgrounds of the inherited speakers, such as gender, place of residence and partner's ethnicity, have an impact on their motivation and attitude towards the inherited dialect.