Language shift and vitality perceptions amongst London's second-generation Bangladeshis

Abstract

With more than 64,500 members, the Bangladeshi community in London is one of the largest in the UK. Originating from a wave of immigration during the 1970s, a considerable part of the community now consists of a second, UK-born generation. This explorative study seeks to address, first, the extent of the intergenerational language shift from Bangla to English, and second, the patterns in Ethnolinguistic Vitality (EV) perceptions amongst a group of educated second-generation Bangladeshis. This study is located within the theoretical framework of EV. A questionnaire was used to elicit information on language usage patterns and perceptions of EV. The results suggest a strong shift from a very Bangla-centric first generation to a second generation that shows strong preferences for the use of English across all communicative domains. Bangla language maintenance seems to play a limited role even in the home/family domain – a domain that has traditionally been seen as a stronghold of minority community languages. This raises issues with regard to heritage language transmission from the second to the third generation.

Keywords:

• Ethnolinguistic Vitality
• language shift
• Bangladeshi
• diaspora
• migration
• second generation migrants

Notes

1. General Certificate of Secondary Education: lowest level of educational qualification in the UK, taken at the age between 14 and 16. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/educationandlearning/qualificationsexplained/dg_10039024

2. Advanced level: school leaving qualification that allows university entrance.