Use the "back" button of your browser to return to the list of abstracts.
ETHNOLINGUISTIC IDENTITY AND MULTILINGUALISM AMONG SPEAKERS OF GURAGE LANGUAGE VARIETIES [Abstract ID: 0802-07]
The Gurage people are one of the fifty plus ethnolinguistic groups living in the SNNPRS, the most ethnolinguistically diverse region in Ethiopia. These people speak more than twelve language varieties known by the umbrella term “Guragigna”. In addition to their own linguistic diversity, a large proportion of these people are dispersed all over the country because of their active engagement in trade activities, resulting in a great language mix. Language proliferation coupled with issues of ethnolinguistic identity have caused problems for the Gurage people in benefiting from the national language and education policy, which embraces multilingualism. They have faced difficulties in language planning and development because any choice might result in conflicts of interest among speakers of different varieties, with issues of dominance and subordination. This study therefore aims to assess the different patterns of ethnolinguistic identity construction, language use preferences, and attitudes towards multilingualism among speakers of six systematically selected Gurage language varieties. The research framework is pragmatic, using mixed research methods to collect, organize and analyze data. Survey questionnaires and semi-structured in-depth interviews were employed to collect primary data. A total of 630 participants are included in this research. The data is organized for analyses using SPSS 20 for the quantitative aspect, and then augmented with the descriptive analyses of qualitative data from the interviews, organized under different themes in the study. Speakers of different Gurage language varieties demonstrate specific patterns in self-identification, attitudes towards using Amharic in everyday activities, language vitality, and significance of language in identity construction. They also have certain separatist groups who claim different historical origins and ethnic identities, reinforced by a number of sociopolitical factors besides linguistic variations.