A Discussion of Language Tables from the 2000 Population Census of Mauritius.

Autor/in	Rajah-Carrim, Aaliya
Titel	A Discussion of Language Tables from the 2000 Population Census of Mauritius.
Quelle	In: Edinburgh Working Papers in Applied Linguistics, (2003) 12, S.64-75 (14 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Schlagwörter	Census Figures; Creoles; English; Foreign Countries; French; Hindi; Language Attitudes; Language Usage; Mandarin Chinese; Multilingualism; Sociolinguistics; Tables (Data); Uncommonly Taught Languages; Mauritius + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Volkszählung; Kreole; English language; Englisch; Ausland; Französisch; Sprachverhalten; Sprachgebrauch; Mehrsprachigkeit; Multilingualismus; Soziolinguistik; Tabelle; Minderheitensprache
Abstract	Twelve languages, including the two prestigious colonial languages, English and French, a French-based creole, and "ancestral" languages such as Hindi and Mandarin are spoken on the multiethnic island Mauritius. Given the multilingual, multiethnic nature of the nation, linguistic practices are an important way for Mauritians to assert or construct their identity. The linguistic diversity of Mauritius has been considered in various censuses. The 2000 census questionnaire contained sections about "linguistic group,""language usually spoken in the home," and "literacy." In this paper, the 2000 census language tables related to "linguistic group" and "language usually spoken in the home" are discussed with reference to the current linguistic situation. The growing importance of Creole as both the language of the forefathers and the language usually spoken at home is discussed. The relatively important presence of English and French, and the decreasing everyday use of Asian languages, are highlighted. The final section of this paper suggests directions for further research on the language tables in the 2000 population census. (Contains 16 references.) (Author/SM)
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC