Language shift, sometimes referred to as language transfer or rate of assimilation, is the process whereby a speech community of a language shifts to speaking another language. The rate of assimilation is the percentage of individuals with a given mother tongue who speak another language more often in the home. The data is used to measure the use of a given language in the lifetime of a person, or most often across generations within a linguistic community.

The process whereby a community of speakers of one language becomes bilingual in another language, and gradually shift allegiance to the second language is called assimilation. When a linguistic community ceases to use their original language, we speak of language death.

An example of language shift would be that of formerly Spanish-speaking families in the Philippines gradually switching over to English since the end of World War II until the former eventually ceased to be a practical everyday language in the country.

Social consequences of language shift

Language shift can be detrimental to at least parts of the community associated with the language which is being lost. Sociolinguists such as Joshua Fishman, Lilly Wong Fillmore and Jon Reyhner report that language shift (when it involves loss of the first language) can lead to cultural disintegration and a variety of social problems including increased alcoholism, dysfunctional families and increased incidence of premature death.

For example, Ohiri-Aniche (1997) observes a tendency among many Nigerians to bring up their children as monolingual speakers of English and reports that this can lead to their children holding their heritage language in disdain and feeling ashamed of being associated with the language of their parents and grandparents. As a result of this some Nigerians are said to feel neither wholly European nor wholly Nigerian.

Reversing language shift

Joshua Fishman has proposed a method of reversing language shift which involves assessing the degree to which a particular language is disrupted in order to determine the most effective way of assisting and revitalising the language.

See also

• Second language
• Extinct language
• Endangered language
• Linguicide
• Language revival

External links

• Language Shift in Australia and Canada
• SIL Bibliography: Language shift - Ethnologue.com
• The Rate of Assimilation : Francophone Minorities: Assimilation and Community Vitality - Department of Canadian Heritage

Sociolinguistics

Spostamento linguistico | Kielenvaihto | Keelevaihtus