A Sociolinguistic Study Of Mongolian Peasants' Language Attitudes Towards Mongolian Language And Chinese In Hashantun Village

Studies on language attitudes have attracted much attention from scholars both at home and abroad,especially language attitudes of bilingual people and multilingual people are extensively discussed.Because Mongolian language plays a vital role in keeping linguistic diversity,it is necessary to explore Mongolians' language attitudes.The study is based on Mongolian peasants' language choices in different situations,and it aims to explore Mongolian peasants'language attitudes towards both Mongolian and Chinese in Hashantun Village in Fuxin Mongolian Autonomous County of Liaoning Province in sociolinguistic approaches.The thesis adopts two sociolinguistic theories:Coulmas' language choice theory and Baker's language attitude theory.As for research method,the thesis applies such research methods as quantitative research method and qualitative research method.Based on the analyses of data on questionnaires and interviews with Mongolian peasants,following conclusions can be drawn from the thesis.Above all,most Mongolian peasants in Hashantun Village hold a positive language attitude towards Mongolian language,because they have a strong ethnic identity and they hope to maintain vitality of their mother tongue.Next,Mongolian peasants also have an open language attitude towards Chinese in terms of its practicability and social influence.It is the superiority for Mongolian peasants in Hashantun Village to speak both Mongolian and Chinese.Furthermore,Mongolian peasants' language attitudes towards written form of Mongolian vary proportionally to their writing abilities in the language.However,Mongolian peasants' language attitudes towards written Chinese and spoken form of both Mongolian and Chinese have little to do with their language abilities.It can also be concluded from the thesis that Hashantun Village's Mongolian peasants' language attitudes and language choices are related to such factors as age,marriage,interlocutor,education and identity and so on.The thesis has some actual meanings.On one hand,it can help Mongolian peasants in Hashantun Village have a deep understanding of the importance of both their native language and Chinese,so as to make them cherish Mongolian language and use Chinese when it is necessary.On the other hand,Mongolian peasants'language attitudes in the village play a positive role in local government's language planning in Hashantun Village and even in Fuxin Mongolian Autonomous County.