A Study On The Language Life Of Left-behind Children In The Hometown Of Overseas Chinese

This dissertation is an empirical study of micro-sociolinguistics based on fieldwork investigations,focusing on the language life of the left-behind children in the hometown of overseas Chinese in Fujian province.The left-behind children is the product of transnational migration of population.This special group mostly live in the hometown of overseas Chinese of Fujian,Zhejiang,Guangdong and other provinces in southeast coast of China.Due to the special identity and the influence of learning and living experience,the language life of "the left-behind children" presents a special condition in which mandarin,dialect and foreign languages are mixed.Based on such condition,this study selected Jiangyin Town,Fuqing City,an important hometown of overseas Chinese in Fujian Province as the research site,and applied fieldwork method of sociolinguistics to conduct field research on the language life of the left behind children;to explore and analyze the research data from the theoretical perspective of language community,bilingualism and double language,language choosing,language policy and plan.This study aims to sorting out the condition of language use,mastering the language attitude,exploring the causes of the language life pattern of this group;,and understanding its language needs in order to achieve the ultimate goal of conserving and cultivating overseas Chinese resources and assisting overseas Chinese affairs.This dissertation consists of seven chapters:Chapter one introduces the research background and significance of the subject and clarifies four core concepts of "left-behind children" "language life" and etc.Based on the analysis results of the research keyword,research findings of"left-behind children" and "children of migrant workers,which are also the outcome of transnational migration of population are highlighted.Questions to be answered in this subject are listed.Investigation procedures and methods and the design and implementation of the questionnaire are introduced.Chapter two detailedly describes the geography,population,education,transportation,overseas Chinese situation,language ecology and other related information of the community in Jiangyin Town in the view of WOlck's concept of"community profiles".Jiangyin Town that has already become a stable diglossia community is clarified.Mandarin and Jiangyin dialect work together in the language life of the community.Mandarin plays the role of "high variety".Jiangyin dialect plays the role of "low variety".Chapter three is the theoretical framework of this dissertation.In the section of"Language Community",based on the dividing line of concepts of section,and on the three concepts of "idealized speech community theory","theory of language dominated society" and "theory of interaction dominated theory",the differences between the various concepts are explored;the classification criteria of Appel and Muysken's"social bilingualism" and Ferguson's "diglossia" is clarified as the theoretical framework.In the section of "language choice",the "domain" model of Fishman's language choice is clarified as the the theoretical support.In the section of "language policy and language planning",the content,classification,and level of language policy and language planning are explored.Chapter four is the analysis of the questionnaire data.The study found that Mandarin is the most important enlightenment language for children and most children have the ability to use two languages-Mandarin and Jiangyin dialect.The language life has the character of coexistence of two languages in which mandarin dominates and dialect being marginalized and the use of foreign languages is rare.Mandarin acquires the actual domination status,dialect plays an important role in the family,and foreign languages become the weak part of language life.The "left-behind children" have a more positive attitude towards Jiangyin dialect and maintain a strong emotional identity with Jiangyin dialect.There exists a contrast between language use and emotional identity in language life.Chapter five is the analysis of the factors influencing the formation of language life.Based on the classification criteria of Williams' promotion of modern Wales English for which he provided three factors:"macro","meso" and "micro".The factors that affect the formation of language life of left behind children in which mandarin,Jiangyin dialect and foreign language are mixed are discussed and analyzed.In Chapter six,based on the research results of the previous ehapters,to construct a new "push-pull model" for language activities is attempted,and the framework content,evaluation system and presentation method of the model are detailedly discussed.Based on such model,factors that affect the language life of Mandarin,Jiangyin and foreign languages are analyzed.Based on the research conclusion,the focus of the future language planning and language services of left-behind children.Chapter seven is the conclusion of the dissertation in which the shortcoming is pointed out and the future research direction is clarified.