Attitudes toward language and language choice in regional intermarriage families: A case study in Tangerang, Banten

Dwi Indarti, Christine Manara

Abstract


Despite extensive research on language attitudes and shifts in Indonesia, studies on language choice in intercultural marriages remain scarce. Therefore, this study explores the attitudes toward heritage, national and international languages, as well as factors influencing language choice in regional intermarriage families living in Tangerang, Banten. This research employed a qualitative case study and used a purposive sampling technique to select the respondents. The respondents were four mothers whose spouses come from different regional cultural backgrounds and live in the Tangerang area. Using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, this study revealed positive attitudes toward heritage, national, and international languages among respondents, emphasizing the significance of regional languages as crucial elements in maintaining connections with their cultural roots and fostering a sense of self-awareness and appreciation of their cultural backgrounds. However, discrepancies emerge between the parents’ beliefs and their actual efforts to maintain and preserve the heritage language for their children. Meanwhile, well-educated female parents perceive mastering English as essential in a globalized world. They prioritize English proficiency to provide educational opportunities for their children. This dual perspective on language reflects an attitude among the respondents that is sensitive to levels of formality and covers diverse purposes of language. On one hand, the desire to learn and use English to connect with the global community indicates an awareness of the importance of a global language for communication, education, and opportunities beyond their local context. On the other hand, their attachment to national and regional languages highlights a strong sense of cultural identity.

Keywords


attitude toward languages; language choice; intermarriage families

Full Text:

PDF

References


Aziz, Z. A., Daud, B., & Windasari, W. (2016). Investigating the language choice of Acehnese intermarriage couples in the home domain. Proceedings of the Sixth Annual International Conference Syiah Kuala University, 6, 345-350.

Bonafix, S. L., & Manara, C. (2016). “Maybe English first and Balinese and Bahasa Indonesia”: A case of language shift, attrition, and preference. Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching, 11(1), 81-99. http://dx.doi.org/10.25170/ijelt.v11i1.1491

Brown, C. L. (2011). Maintaining heritage language: Perspectives of Korean parents. Multicultural Education, 19, 31-37.

Cresswell, J. W., & Cresswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approach (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Fasya, M., & Sari, D. G. (2021). Sociocultural factors that determine language choice in a multilingual society: Sociolinguistic study at Tanjungsari Market, Sumedang Regency. In N. Haristiani, Y. Y. Wirza, W. Gunawan, E. Kurniawan, N. Nafisah, E. Diyahkusumaning, A. A. Danuwijaya, D. Darmawangsa, & Suharno (Eds.), Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Language, Literature, Culture, and Education (ICOLLITE 2021) (pp. 412-418). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.211119.064

Hur, E., Otero, J. C. L., Lee, E. (2021). Attitudes and expectations towards heritage language instruction: Evidence from Korean and Spanish in the US. Languages, 6(1), Article 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages6010014

Idaryani & Fidyati. (2023). Acehnese parents’ attitudes and their implications in the intergenerational transmission of the heritage language. Studies in English Language and Education, 10(1), 470-486. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v10i1.25632

Kadir, R. (2021). Language maintenance in an interracial marriage: The case of Indonesian females’ language choice in Canada. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 11(1), 146-156. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v11i1.34589

Lekatompessy, F. M. (2021). Parental perspectives and practices in maintaining the heritage language (A Ambonese Malay). Pattimura Excellence Journal of Language and Culture, 1(1), 34-41. https://doi.org/10.30598/PEJLac.v1.i1.pp34-41

Montrul, S. (2023). Heritage languages: Language acquired, language lost, language regained. Annual Review of Linguistics, 9, 399-418. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-linguistics-030521-050236

Nasution, V. A., & Ayuningtias, N. (2020). The language choice of Chinese community in Medan: A sociolinguistics study. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literature, 5(1), 11-25. https://doi.org/10.33369/joall.v5i1.9063

Paauw, S. (2009). One land, one nation, one language: An analysis of Indonesia’s national language policy. University of Rochester Working Papers in the Language Sciences, 5(1), 2-16.

Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice (4th ed). SAGE Publications.

Qiu, C., & Qiu, Z. (2022). Language maintenance and shift of a Fangyan group: The case of Mid-Mountain Hakka in Hakka-Chaoshan adjoining areas. Sage Open, 12(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221132521

Rahmadani, A. (2023). Navigating multiple languages: The use and effect of code-switching in children from mixed marriage families. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 13(1), 13-25. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v13i1.58252

Rahman, A. R., Jalaludin, I., Kasim, Z. M., & Darmi, R. (2021). Attitudes towards learning English among the Aliya madrasah students in Bangladesh. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 11(2), 269-280. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v11i2.34121

Romanowski, P. (2021). A deliberate language policy or a perceived lack of agency: Heritage language maintenance in the Polish community in Melbourne. International Journal of Bilingualism, 25(5), 1214-1234. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13670069211000850

Roostini, K. E., & Manara, C. (2021). Students’ attitudes towards languages and maintenance of heritage languages: A case study of Papuan senior high school students. Journal of English Language and Culture, 12(1), 13-24. https://dx.doi.org/10.30813/jelc.v12i1.2697

Ros, J. A., Maijala, M., & Valkamo, N. (2021). The role of the teacher in heritage language maintenance courses in Finland. Journal of Multilingual and Multilingual Development, 45(2), 522-535. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2021.1906692

Sari, R. A. (2020). An analysis of language choice of interethnic marriage Dyak-Madurese couples. Humanika, 27(1), 33-43. http://dx.doi.org/10.14710/humanika.v27i1.29750

Seli, S., & Kristi, S. (2020). Language choice and attitude in Sumatran-Javanese intermarriage families in relation to language maintenance in Lubuklinggau. Journal of English Education Literature and Linguistics, 3(1), 116-130.

Sukamto, K. E., Nicolau, M. F. S., Rani, K. R. V., & Sugiyanta. (2021). Language use, language attitude and identity: Perceptions of high school students attending an international school in Jakarta. Studies in English Language and Education, 8(1), 381-396. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v8i1.17608

Ulfa, M. (2017). Maintenance of Acehnese terms of address in an intermarriage family. Studies in English Language and Education, 4(1), 76-91. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v4i1.7006

Ulfah, E., & Yoshino, F. (2023). Language choice in intermarriages Indonesian and Japanese: Indonesian wife’s life story study on language inheritance in Japan. LITE: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, dan Budaya, 19(1), 18-31. https://doi.org/10.33633/lite.v19i1.7867

Yassi, A. H., Sahib, H., Ramadhani, R., & Aswad, M. (2021). The language attitudes of the community members towards their local language, Konjonese of Bulukumba, Indonesia. In A. Nurmandi, P. Susongko, Y. Arfiani, V. Filippova, A. Archarya, K. Abdullah, D. N. Almarez, & A. S. Widodo (Eds.), Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Social Science, Humanities, Education and Society Development (ICONS 2021) (pp. 14-27). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220101.003

Yuliana, V., & Yanti. (2023). Language attitudes, shift, and maintenance: A case study of Jakartan Chinese Indonesians. Linguistik Indonesia, 41(2), 241-262. https://doi.org/10.26499/li.v41i2.517

Zhu, D., Hopper, P., & Kulaixi, G. (2020). Heritage language maintenance among second-generation Chinese-American children in a small Chinese community. International Journal of Education, Culture and Society, 5(5), 100-114. http://dx.doi.org/10.11648/j.ijecs.20200505.13




DOI: https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v12i1.36436

Article Metrics

Abstract view : 0 times
PDF - 0 times

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Print ISSN: 2355-2794, Online ISSN: 2461-0275

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.


View Journal Stats