Ideologies, practices, and their effect on dialect vitality: a case study from Vanuatu

Abstract

Understanding dialect loss is informative for language loss, yet dialect attrition remains relatively understudied. Suru Kavian is an endangered dialect of Pentecost Island, Vanuatu. Drawing from language recordings, interviews, and observations, this paper explores the relationship between linguistic ideologies about Suru Kavian (what members of the community say about the dialect), people's actual language practices (what they 'do' - how the dialect is used), and the potential effect that the interplay of these factors has on the vitality of this endangered variety. The methodology and analysis used here add to the sparse literature on the intersection between endangered languages and dialect studies, and contribute to the wider discussion on not only dialect loss, but also language loss.