Campus vitality of languages in a Chinese university: evaluation, comparison and reflection
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Shanhua He [1]
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[1] Yangzhou University
Yangzhou University
China
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- Localización: Journal of multilingual and multicultural development, ISSN 0143-4632, Vol. 45, Nº. 5, 2024, págs. 1358-1374
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
This paper proposes a concept of campus vitality of languages: the ability of a language to maintain its prestige, visibility and continuity on university campuses. A seven-factor framework is developed for on-the-ground investigation of the relevant languages in a given campus context. These indexical factors are the number, distribution, and proportion of users; usage and visibility in campus domains; and institutional and user attitudes toward the languages. The application of this framework in a second-tier university in China reveals some sociolinguistic information: the presence of more languages on campus does not necessarily increase students’ diversity experiences; English supremacy in higher education in China is posing a threat to the status of the national language in the academic domain, an issue that has drawn administrative attention from the government; a more balanced ecology is not only desirable but also achievable if the seven-factor framework is followed by government and by university management.
