Ethnolinguistic Communities Research Articles

Bridging faith, languages and learning in London: a faith teacher reflects upon pedagogy in religious instruction classes

ABSTRACTIn this article, we examine a faith teacher's reflections on faith literacy teaching and learning and how they shaped his pedagogy in the context of Hindu/Saiva religious instruction classes for students of Sri Lankan Tamil heritage. The data are part of a larger multi-site three-year team ethnography of children's faith literacy learning in places of worship, religious education classes and homes across four ethno-linguistic communities in London (Bangladeshi Muslim, Polish Catholic, Ghanaian Pentecostal and Tamil Hindu/Saiva). In this article, we focus on one of the Hindu/Saiva faith teachers by combining an in-depth semi-structured interview with the teacher in question with participant observations and video-recordings of faith lessons. Drawing on the faith teacher's reflections, we identify the changes in the nature and scope of faith literacy learning across time and in the London diasporic setting and demonstrate how the faith teacher responded to them by adopting flexible language practices where English (the majority language) was used alongside Tamil (the community and devotional language) as a learning resource. The faith teacher's pedagogic approach emerged as a pragmatic and contextual response to the students’ diverse capabilities in class, with the purpose of making faith literacy learning accessible and relevant to their lives.

A divulgação científica no Brasil e na Rússia: um ensaio de análise comparativa de discursos

RESUMO O objetivo do artigo é realizar uma análise comparativa da divulgação científica no Brasil e na Rússia. Os fundamentos teórico-metodológicos dessa comparação foram construídos na confluência entre a teoria bakhtiniana e a análise comparativa de discursos, esta presente nos trabalhos dos pesquisadores do Cediscor. A partir desses fundamentos, construímos um corpus de enunciados das edições brasileira e russa da revista Scientific American e pudemos observar, por um lado, grandes semelhanças nos gêneros artigo e reportagem de divulgação científica nas duas comunidades etno-linguísticas, e, por outro, diferenças no que concerne à relação com o discurso alheio e o uso de tempos e modos verbais.

Building Regional and Ethno-Linguistic Communities in the Infosphere: .ASIA and .CAT

This paper will explore and compare two efforts to facilitate and promote connectivity and exchange online while also attempting to build regional and ethno-linguistic communities. Specifically we consider the rationales for the development of the .ASIA (www.dotasia.org) and .CAT (www.cat) top level domains. These two naming strategies share a common goal, as each revolves a geographically-oriented sponsored top-level domain, between the national and the global, in an attempt to reflect and create an online community.1 However, as we detail below, the two strategies differ greatly in terms of the mission, scope, and business plans to achieve this goal. Thus we conclude by suggesting that these two attempts at forming “community” on the internet can reveal some of the paths that community may take in a world of global interactions and commercial transactions.

Lexical Transference in the Speech of Serbs in Germany

The aim of this paper is to display the state of the Serbian language in the diaspora on a lexical level in the speech of representatives of different generations/groups of labor migrants, members of the Serbian ethno-linguistic community in the Bavarian city of Ingolstadt. In the paper we will primarily look to lexical transferences and show how certain lexemes became a part of the lexicon of the Serbian language utilized by our informants. Aside from identifying the state of the language of Serbian diaspora on a lexical level, we have attempted to determine and redefine the key concepts of contact linguistics, seeing as the terminological and conceptual apparatus of the discipline is characterized by an uneven terminology of phenomena, processes and outcomes of linguistic contact.

Espace de vie et communauté touristique ethnolinguistique. La construction de Floribec

Depuis les années 1950, la Floride et Miami occupent une place très importante dans l’imaginaire culturel des Québécois. Cela s’exprime dans la littérature, la musique et le cinéma. Cette affection pour la Floride est aussi très évidente sur le plan touristique alors que plus du tiers de la population québécoise visite la Floride annuellement. Cela a mené au développement d’une communauté de culture québécoise et de langue française située dans la banlieue de Hollywood (Miami) dont la raison d’être et l’atmosphère dépendent de l’apport massif de touristes québécois et des divers autres liens qu’elle entretient avec le Québec.

Occupational Mobility and Social Status: The Welsh Experience in Sharon, Pennsylvania, 1880–1930

ABSTRACT This article identifies the Welsh as a distinct ethnolinguistic community in Sharon, Mercer County, during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and provides an analysis of intragenerational and intergenerational changes in socioeconomic status, as indicated by occupational shifts. The study provides a clearer picture than the images promulgated by contemporary Welsh leaders who strove to emphasize the industry and upward mobility of their fellow countrymen.

Language, conflict, and migration: Situating Arabic bilingual community education in the United States

AbstractFocusing on the educational efforts of a diverse ethnolinguistic community, this article considers the rationales, mechanisms, and channels adopted by Arabic-speaking communities in the US to teach and learn the Arabic language. The article draws on research conducted with a number of Arabic speaking populations in New York to situate Arabic language education in the US within the transnational context of conflict and migration. By employing a transnational lens, it provides insights into both the growing interest in the Arabic language, and conversely, the challenges posed to Arabic bilingual community efforts. The findings illustrate the embeddedness of Arabic language efforts in the US within a larger sociopolitical and sociohistorical context of conflict. This context, I argue, has shaped the rationales and means adopted by US Arabic-speaking communities to teach the Arabic language to their American children.

The Ethno-linguistic Community and Premature Death: a Register-Based Study of Working-Aged Men in Finland.

One of the most striking features of premature death in Finland is the ethno-linguistic mortality gradient in working-aged men. Finnish speakers have a notably higher mortality risk than Swedish speakers. The underlying reasons are not fully clear, but one suggested explanation has been that the level of social integration is lower in the Finnish-speaking community than that in the Swedish-speaking one, as people in the former are geographically less rooted at the local level. In this paper, we derive a proxy for the influence of the ethno-linguistic community as a contextual factor on the Finnish-Swedish mortality gradient. The strategy is based on a unique setup that makes it possible to identify people not only by their ethno-linguistic background and ethno-linguistic affiliation, but we indirectly know also in which community a person has been raised. Results of multivariate regressions provide poor support for this contextual hypothesis, however, and rather suggest that some latent individual characteristics might be important, hence illuminating the complexity behind the excess mortality of Finnish speakers.

The current politics of African languages in Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwean sociolinguistic situation has for long been dogged by the lack of a holistic and well-articulated language policy. This situation is not peculiar to Zimbabwe, but common throughout Africa. This article examines the implications and complications of the new constitutionally enshrined national language policy in Zimbabwe. To a larger extent, the new policy is a result of protracted activism by minority ethno-linguistic communities in Zimbabwe. However, the shift from recognising three official languages to sixteen would be an end itself if stakeholders do not proactively engage with the policy and develop effective strategies for successful implementation. Adequate financial resources, political will and stakeholder buy-in are needed for the successful implementation of this policy. This article maps the way forward for Zimbabwe’s language policy and planning efforts.

Lumpers, Splitters, and Other Variations in Nage Animal Classification

Abstract Variation in folk knowledge of biological kinds among members of a single ethno-linguistic community has long been a focus of ethnobiological attention and interest. Concentrating on variable local understandings of animal names, this paper discusses three forms of binary names applied to animal categories among the Nage of Flores Island, eastern Indonesia. It is shown that while some people, the lumpers, regard such names as unproductive binomials designating terminal taxa (folk-generics or folk-specifics), others, the splitters, construe the same names as composite terms comprising separate names of two distinct subtaxa. In two of the three cases evidence from the animal nomenclatures of related languages supports the splitters. Also discussed are factors possibly accounting for this variation, including age, gender, and variable familiarity with local fauna bound up with ecological change.

Being Tamil, being Hindu: Tamil migrants’ negotiations of the absence of Tamil Hindu spaces in the West Midlands and South West of England

This paper considers the religious practices of Tamil Hindus who have settled in the West Midlands and South West of England in order to explore how devotees of a specific ethno-regional Hindu tradition with a well-established UK infrastructure in the site of its adherents’ population density adapt their religious practices in settlement areas which lack this infrastructure. Unlike the majority of the UK Tamil population who live in the London area, the participants in this study did not have ready access to an ethno-religious infrastructure of Tamil-orientated temples11For simplicity, the English term ‘temple' is used in preference to the Tamil Kōvil or the Sanskrit Mandir. My use of other Tamil terms follows the transliteration suggested by the University of Madras’ Tamil Lexicon. and public rituals. The paper examines two means by which this absence was addressed as well as the intersections and negotiations of religion and ethnicity these entailed: firstly, Tamil Hindus’ attendance of temples in their local area which are orientated towards a broadly imagined Hindu constituency or which cater to a non-Tamil ethno-linguistic or sectarian community; and, secondly, through the ‘DIY’ performance of ethnicised Hindu ritual in non-institutional settings.

Minority Community Development: Testing Landry's (2012) Intergroup Ethno-Linguistic Model

We test Landry's (2012) ethno-linguistic community development model in the context of Canadian Francophone minorities, using two social responses as indicators of social development. These minorities are spread over 12 Canadian Provinces and Territories and represent a broad spectrum of minority levels. The social responses are the offer and the demand for health care services in French and they are derived from Statistics Canada's 2006 Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities. As predicted by Landry, we observe a strong association between the two social responses and the Francophones/Anglophones linguistic vitality ratio. A phase diagram analysis indicates that minorities have more control over local model dynamics whereas the majority has more control over global model constraints. This suggests practical lessons for fostering the development of minority communities.

Language and identity in the context of conflict: the case of ethnolinguistic communities in South Darfur State

AbstractThis study investigates the patterns of self-assertiveness by using Arabic and other native languages among the ethnic groups characterised by ethnolinguistic vitality in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur State, and the satellite internally displaced persons’ camps. The study also looks into how these communities perceived the role their native languages could play in the construction of their ethnic identities. In addition, factors influencing the construction of ethnic identities were investigated. Data pertaining to language perceptions on identity, and the role of conflict in the process of identity construction were collected. To this end, four tools were employed to collect the data: a thirteen-item questionnaire administered to 711 respondents; 12 focus group discussions held with 112 participants; in-depth interviews with 20 persons; and participant observations. The study came to a number of conclusions, the most important of which were: (a) the communities investigated were found to have revitalised their native languages by taking pride in them in different domains; (b) there was a perceived aversion towards Arabic across the groups studied; (c) there was a conscious revitalisation of ethnolinguistic identities; and (d) the current conflict has played an important role in the emergence of revitalised ethnolinguistic identities.

Translating Intangible Cultural Heritage in an Ethnolinguistic Community: A Case Study of the Site of Xanadu in Inner Mongolia

Translation of intangible cultural heritage is an important part of translation studies. As one of the intangible cultural heritages in the world, the Site of Xanadu is a typical representative of Mongolian national history and splendid culture. The English translation of Xanadu’s history and culture has to be idiomatic to foreign tourists, especially native English speakers. By a close study of English translation of Xanadu resources, this article attempts to discuss the current translation problems arising from application documents, advertisements and websites about Xanadu and reasons behind. Besides, the feasible translation strategies and methods are also suggested for better understanding between different cultures. The two functions of translating intangible cultural heritage, transferring of information and dissemination of culture, are particularly important, which play an important role in making Mongolian culture better understood by foreign visitors.

Bridge Builders: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Experiences of Former Refugees Working as Caseworkers in the United States

ABSTRACT.Individuals who come to the United States as refugees and work as resettlement caseworkers offer peer support, modeling, and assistance with integration to newly arriving refugees, despite often having limited training or experience in social service provision. A phenomenological approach was utilized to gain understanding about the experiences of refugee caseworkers. Nine caseworkers who came to the United States as refugees completed in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was used to identify primary themes, including: a) the caseworker's bridge-building role with clients; b) their role in building bridges with others in the community, including the resettlement agency; and c) the caseworkers’ experience as bridge builders, including motivations, perspectives toward their role, and needed supports. Refugee service providers face unique challenges in negotiating boundaries with clients and meeting the expectations of their ethnolinguistic community members. Their strengths in understanding household experiences and in building agency and community understanding highlight their ability to contribute to positive resettlement outcomes. The findings from this study have implications for agencies serving refugees and for other social services that utilize peer-support strategies, particularly in regards to staff training and support. Findings highlight the need for research examining effective resettlement strategies and the perspectives of refugees toward resettlement approaches.

Taxonomy of Ethnomedicinal Botanicals and Documentation of Ethnomedicinal Practices Traditionally Used by Three Selected Ethnolinguistic Communities in Mindanao, Philippines

This study documents orally transmitted but never documented knowledge about ethnomedicinal (EMD) botanicals before they are lost as native healers die out and replaced by modern medical practitioners; the natural habitat lost due to the encroachment of fast-paced modern changes and consequent destruction of virgin forests. EMD practices traditionally used by three (3) ethnoliguistic communities (EC) in Mindanao, Philippines (Manobo, Talaandig and Higaonon) were observed and recorded, the EMD botanicals identified with the aid of their respective EMD practitioners (baylan, datu), photographed in situ, samples collected, herbarium preserved and their taxonomy established. Results showed 108 species of EMD botanicals belonging to 95 genera and 52 families; 11 commonly used by the three EC, three (3) common among the Talaandig and Higaonon, 17 common among the Manobo and Higaonon, 22 used only by the Higaonon, 21 used only by the Manobo, 23 used only by the Talaandig. Emphasizing the importance of “sevens” (shoot, leaves, root, bark, fruit), 40 common ailments were treated through decoction, infusion, maceration, juice extraction and poultice. In conclusion, the three selected EC possess knowledge about EMD botanicals that are potential sources of medicinal therapeutics. Confirmation of their efficacy is being investigated in the light of modern, evidence-based medicine.  Keywords - Ethnomedicine, indigenous knowledge, taxonomy, biodiversity, Manobo, Higaonon, Talaandig, ethnolinguistic communities, Philippines.

Cross-Cultural Discourse Analysis and Intercultural Education in Foreign Language Teaching and Learning

The purpose of this paper is to bring about the role a contrastive approach called Cross-Cultural Discourse Analysis can play in the design and the implementation of intercultural education activities in the language classroom. The author briefly describes the methodology of Cross-Cultural Discourse Analysis in research and connects this methodology with intercultural education. She further explains how to proceed in a language and intercultural education classroom, step by step, using concrete examples. A final discussion concerns the controversial goal of investigating cultures on the level of ethno-linguistic communities by means of comparison in intercultural research and education.

What role can community contact play in heritage language literacy development? Japanese–English bilingual children in Sydney

When linguistic minority parents wish to develop and maintain their children's literacy in heritage languages (HLs), what can they do to help? How and to what extent do the individual contexts of language use and background affect the development and maintenance of HL literacy, compared with the sociocultural context of community? What are the effects of ethnolinguistic community contact on individuals’ language use? This article uses a quantitative approach to investigating these issues, focusing on general and specific aspects of Japanese literacy among school-age children of Japanese heritage in Sydney. The sample consists of two groups of bilinguals who differ in their degree of community contact and attend different Japanese community schools at the weekend. Data on individual factors were collected from parental questionnaires and data on literacy from free-style writings and a written test. Statistical analyses examined the effects of language use, background and community contact on literacy, in addition to the effect of community contact on language use. The results indicate that while language use has a more significant effect than background, community contact contributes most to the development of the HL literacy, especially since it significantly promotes literacy-enhancing private language use.

The Internet and the Australian Ethnic Press: How Spanish Print Newspapers and Online News Increase Knowledge of Public Affairs Issues

The Australian ethnic press has historically performed a salient role in the process of integration between immigrants and the host country. Ethnic newspapers can become the voices of the ethnolinguistic community they represent. In a diaspora that is as ethnically diverse as the Spanish speaking community, these periodicals can potentially mediate a community's participation in the public sphere of the country they live in and their country of origin. They have shown to improve awareness of politics and other societal issues from their homeland and host country. The possible impact of internet technology to the Australian ethnic press, in this case the Spanish language press, is an area which has received little academic attention. There have been studies which examined the relationship between the internet and mainstream media, but thus far the ethnic press has been overlooked. In the digital era, the scope for ethnic media is greater than ever, and the cost for developing and sustaining ethnic media has decreased substantially worldwide since the emergence of the internet. This presentation will discuss whether Spanish print newspapers are more effective in increasing the overall number of societal issues than their online media counterparts.

Russian-speaking immigrants and their media: still together?

The recent wave of immigration from the Former Soviet Union has created the largest ethno-linguistic community of over 1 million people in Israel. Rising communication needs of the newcomers led to the rapid development of Russian-language media that fulfil a dual function: preserving the immigrants' original identity and ties to the former homeland while also addressing new challenges of social and cultural integration. This article explores the main trends in Russian-language media consumption in Israel and illuminates their social and cultural roles in the immigrants' adaptation, with a special emphasis on youth and more recent arrivals.