What is it about?
An individual's choice of language depends on several aspects and is particularly significant in multilingual settings. We have observed that in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the relationship among languages that exist in its sociolinguistic landscape is central to the politics of the state. It primarily explores the triangular relationship between Hindi, English and Tamil through the lens of individuals' choice and their narratives about each in personal, friendship, and institutional domains.
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Why is it important?
There have been few in-depth works that examine the linkage between the projection of cultural identity of Tamil speakers and the languages they use in various domains. The findings show that identities are constructed through strong and consistent narrative-building established by in-group members about Tamil, English, and Hindi.
Perspectives
I hope this work reaches wide audience to understand the underlying language dynamics in Tamil Nadu. I also believe that this work will be useful to researchers working in the field of sociolinguistics to explore the sociolinguistic ecology of Tamil Nadu further and similar landscapes in multilingual settings.
Elizabeth Eldho
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This page is a summary of: Choice of language in the construction of cultural identity by Tamil speakers in India, International Journal of Language and Culture, December 2023, John Benjamins,
DOI: 10.1075/ijolc.00045.eld.
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