Language Code Choice, Language Ability, and Language Attitude Status of the Elderly Aged 60 or Above in Hefei City, China

Abstract

This study aims to explore the current situation of language use among the elderly over 60 years old in Hefei city, which is of great practical significance for creating a high-quality aging service and product supply system and promoting infrastructure construction in the city. This study is aimed at analyzing the language code choice, language ability, and language attitude status of the elderly aged 60 or above in the urban area. The results show that the elderly tend to choose dialects in both the family domain and the public domain, and have strong dialect ability. The willingness of older adults to learn Mandarin from their offspring is very strong, with 93% of them believing that they are "proficient" in Mandarin; at the same time, the willingness of elderly people to learn dialects is also strong. Communities should help older people rebuild their social roles, create a Mandarin learning atmosphere, provide convenient language learning services, enhance their sense of identity with Mandarin, and achieve learning in old age. It should also pay attention to the language use characteristics of the older people and continue to deepen the promotion of Mandarin in a targeted manner, while encouraging and protecting dialects.