15.3042, Diss: Socioling: Bouwer: 'The Viability of Official...'

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LINGUIST List: Vol-15-3042. Tue Oct 26 2004. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 15.3042, Diss: Socioling: Bouwer: 'The Viability of Official...'

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1)
Date: 23-Oct-2004
From: Leoni Bouwer < leoni_bouwer at kastanet.org >
Subject: The Viability of Official Malagasy in the Language Ecology of Southern Madagascar with Particular Reference to the Bara Speech Community


	
-------------------------Message 1 ----------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 12:05:33
From: Leoni Bouwer < leoni_bouwer at kastanet.org >
Subject: The Viability of Official Malagasy in the Language Ecology of Southern Madagascar with Particular Reference to the Bara Speech Community

Institution: University of South Africa
Program: DLitt et Phil
Dissertation Status: Completed
Degree Date: 2003

Author: Leoni E. Bouwer

Dissertation Title: The Viability of Official Malagasy in the Language Ecology
of Southern Madagascar with Particular Reference to the Bara Speech Community

Linguistic Field(s): Sociolinguistics

Subject Language(s):
Malagasy, Southern (Code: XMU)

Language Family(ies):
Austronesian

Dissertation Director(s):
Lawrie A Barnes

Dissertation Abstract:

It is traditionally believed that one language is spoken by all the people
of Madagascar. This implies that the standardised form of the Merina
variety of Malagasy, also referred to as Official Malagasy, can adequately
be used and understood by all Malagasy speakers in every social situation -
including educational, health, cultural, domestic, economic, political and
religious contexts.

The thesis presents empirical research that challenges this belief,
confronts the assumption of Malagasy monolingualism as a prerequisite for
national unity, and demonstrates that the question of Malagasy linguistic
diversity remains unresolved.

Both quantitative and qualitative methods were implemented to investigate
the viability of Official Malagasy in the language ecology of Southern
Madagascar, and to explore the vitality of Southern Malagasy speech
varieties, with particular focus on the Bara speech community. A language
ecological view is taken of the region under study, firstly of the general
sociolinguistic situation of Southern Madagascar, then of Ibara, an area
within Southern Madagascar, and finally of the Mikoboke, a secluded area in
Western Ibara.

The study argues that significant linguistic diversity exists in Southern
Madagascar and that Southern Malagasy speakers are not adequately served by
the official language due to language variation, ethnolinguistic vitality,
insufficient intelligibility, poor proficiency in Official Malagasy, and
language attitudes. If all regions of Madagascar are to have equal
opportunity for educational and economic development, regional speech forms
need to be given a recognized place at the local level.

As far as could be established, no similar research has previously been
undertaken in Southern Madagascar, nor anywhere else in Madagascar, and
this study therefore takes on an initiatory and exploratory role as to its
focus of study.



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