Multiethnic Area Primary School Language Use Surveys

This thesis is a case study on language use of students in elementary and secondary schools in Zhenfeng County, Guizhou Province. Zhenfeng County is located in Qianxinan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, which is a typical region with various mixed ethnic minorities. In this area you can find no less than 25 minority ethnic groups such as Han, Miao, Buyi, Gelao, Hui and Yao. Seven schools are chosen in this field work, which are Zhenfeng No.1 Primary School, Zhenfeng No.3 Primary School, Baiceng Central Primary School, Longchang Central Primary School, Zhenfeng No.1 Middle School, Zhenfeng Ethnic Middle School, Longchang Middle School. The students in these seven schools are of various different ethnic groups such as Han, Buyi and Miao etc. We do the field work on students'language use when they stay at home and at schools. We try to explore these students' language use and language attitude by the ways of course observations, questionnaires and interviews. We expect to get an idea about the general rules of using languages in an area with diversified languages and cultures.This thesis consists of six parts, including Introduction, four Chapters and Conclusion. This thesis analysis from the following aspects: language use, language attitude and language relations. Based on the materials obtained from field work, Chapter One gives a systematic analysis on the conditions of using languages. After investigating the language use respectively in classroom, at campus, at home and in the community, we try to contrast the differences in language use by students of various ethnic groups and different grades. We do this by use the methods of quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis and comparative analysis.Based on questionnaires and interviews, Chapter Two mainly analyses those school students'attitudes on mandarin Chinese, dialects and ethnic Languages, using methods of the comparative analysis and quantitative analysis. We try to get something in common and something different between them.Chapter Three mainly analyses those factors that influence school students'language use and language attitudes. After making an on-the-spot investigation on the language use environment, we think that the main factor that influences school students'language use and language attitudes is language us environment which consist of four main parts:the social environment, the school environment, the household and community environment and the society and media environment. The social languages environment is mainly influenced by the language use of the whole community and language policies. The languages environment at school is mainly influenced by schools'policies on languages, teachers' attitudes and language teaching levels. For the family and community language environment is mainly influenced by the language use and language attitude at home and in the community. For the society and media language use environment, it is mainly influenced by the general language use, local language policy and the media. Besides, ages, sex, nationality, language acceptability, even maturity of mentality may become the factors of influencing students'language use and language attitude.Chapter Four mainly analyses the relations of languages used by these school students. First of all, we get to know the various relations of languages used by those school students. These relations are those between mandarin Chinese and dialects, mandarin Chinese and ethnic Languages, dialects and ethnic Languages. We also analyze the diverse scales of using mandarin Chinese, dialects, and ethnic Languages. Secondly, we analyze the language transfer of those school students, especially of those minority students. Last, further reveals the theme and significance of this thesis, exploring general rules of languages in a multi-language and multi-culture context from a macro point of view. We also give some suggestions and countermeasures on how to deal with the relationships between mandarin Chinese, dialects and ethnic Languages in elementary and secondary schools. I hope that it may be helpful to promote the harmonious development of the relations between various languages and the relations between various ethnic groups in minority areas.The Conclusion is the Summary of the thesis. Based on the studies on language use, language attitude and language relations in the previous four chapters, this chapter further generalize the thesis.