Language Attitudes and Identity in the Tibetan Dharamsala Diaspora, SOAS University of London
Channel: SOAS University of London
Date: 23/03/2016

Find out more about SOAS Linguistics at http://www.soas.ac.uk/linguistics
This Linguistics seminar titled "Language Attitudes and Identity in the Tibetan Dharamsala Diaspora" was given by Jeff Izzard at SOAS University of London on 1 March 2016.

More about this event at http://goo.gl/dTqs79

Multiplicity in the construction of language and identity is a salient feature of the Tibetan Dharamsala diaspora (TDD). Irrespective of linguistic diversity and issues of intelligibility among intra-Tibetan groups, a shared perception of a common heritage, and a common plight, accentuated by the displacement of exile, emphasise a desire to preserve and value symbols of Tibetan culture, resulting in the formation and awareness of multiple Tibetic variety repertoires and increased competence in multiple Tibetic varieties.

This research seeks to investigate the language attitudes of the members of the TDD in conjunction with data on linguistic repertoires and informant reported linguistic competence, specifically seeking to establish if a multiple Tibetic variety model constitutes a polynomic language situation, and whether positive attitudes towards a multiple Tibetan identity model increase competence in Tibetic varieties.

The data for this research were collected over a period of a year in the TDD, combining quantitative and qualitative research instruments in a mixed methodology approach. A questionnaire survey was conducted with a large sample size, as well as a verbal-guise test and interviews. The results of the three data collection techniques were triangulated, facilitating an analytical amalgamation structured on the comparison, correlation and contextualisation of data, attempting to capture as much of the complexity of the subject matter as possible.

The research incorporates an interpretive perspective in conjunction with a strong motivation to use informant-led descriptions and definitions of linguistic varieties and cultural items, particularly in reporting on the concepts of linguistic status and purity and the notion of unity in diversity in Tibetan intra-group relationships.

This research is intended to inform the field of sociolinguistics, specifically focusing on the relationship between language attitudes and multiple identity constructions.