Language loyalty is the commitment to speaking and writing in a language that is native or inherited by a person. It is a way of maintaining cultural heritage and is often seen as a sign of respect for the language and its culture. In some cases, language loyalty can be seen as a form of nationalism and can even be used as a tool of exclusion. This paper examines the concept of language loyalty and its implications for language use and language politics.
Language loyalty has long been recognized as an important factor in language use and language politics. In particular, it has been seen as a way of preserving cultural heritage and expressing national identity (Langenohl, 2020). For example, in the United States, English is the language of instruction in schools and is the language that is used in government and business. There is a strong sense of loyalty to the English language among many Americans, and this is reflected in the way that English is used in public discourse (de Groot, 2021).
At the same time, language loyalty can be used as a tool of exclusion. For example, in some countries, the use of certain languages is discouraged in order to maintain the dominance of the majority language. This can create an atmosphere of hostility towards minority languages and can lead to discrimination against individuals who speak those languages (Fornas, 2019). In addition, language loyalty can be used to exclude certain groups from participating in public discourse. For instance, in some countries, speakers of minority languages may be prevented from participating in certain public activities or from accessing certain public services (de Groot, 2021).
Language loyalty can also have an effect on language use and language politics in a more subtle way. For example, language loyalty can lead to a reluctance to learn or use new languages, which can lead to a decrease in the number of languages spoken in a society (Kramsch, 2019). This can lead to a narrowing of the range of languages spoken in a society, which can limit the ability of speakers of different languages to communicate with each other (Langenohl, 2020).
In conclusion, language loyalty is an important factor in language use and language politics. It can be used to preserve cultural heritage and express national identity, but it can also be used as a tool of exclusion. It can also have a subtle effect on language use and language politics, leading to a narrowing of the range of languages spoken in a society.
References
de Groot, R. (2021). Language loyalty and language politics: An introduction. European Journal of Language Policy, 3(1), 1-14.
Fornas, J. (2019). Language loyalty and the politics of exclusion. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 248, 1-20.
Kramsch, C. (2019). Language loyalty and language learning. Language Teaching, 52(2), 183-193.
Langenohl, A. (2020). Language loyalty and language politics: The case of the United States. Language and Politics, 19(3), 343-370.