Language choice in online written communication among Maldivian professionals

Language choice is a sociolinguistic phenomenon which refers to the selection of language(s) for different purposes in various contexts. This study examines the language choice of Maldivians in online written communication in the domains of family, friendship and work. Dhivehi is the unique Indo-Ary...

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Main Authors: Fahmee, Fathimath, Yong, Mei Fung
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2016
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/35273/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/35273/1/Language%20choice%20in%20online%20written%20communication%20among%20Maldivian%20professionals.pdf
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author Fahmee, Fathimath
Yong, Mei Fung
author_facet Fahmee, Fathimath
Yong, Mei Fung
author_sort Fahmee, Fathimath
building UPM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Language choice is a sociolinguistic phenomenon which refers to the selection of language(s) for different purposes in various contexts. This study examines the language choice of Maldivians in online written communication in the domains of family, friendship and work. Dhivehi is the unique Indo-Aryan language spoken almost exclusively in the Maldives along with English as the unofficial second language. A total of 150 professionals from the fields of education, administration and health took part in the study with academic qualifications ranging from diploma to doctorate degree. The data was collected using a survey questionnaire and analysed quantitatively. The findings revealed that Dhivehi is the dominant language in the family domain while English is dominant in the friendship and work domains. There is also a relationship between language choice and age, and English language proficiency. The high preference for English in online written communication indicates a need for a language policy that would emphasise and increase the use of Dhivehi online as a language maintenance effort.
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institution Universiti Putra Malaysia
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spelling upm-352732016-10-12T07:59:05Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/35273/ Language choice in online written communication among Maldivian professionals Fahmee, Fathimath Yong, Mei Fung Language choice is a sociolinguistic phenomenon which refers to the selection of language(s) for different purposes in various contexts. This study examines the language choice of Maldivians in online written communication in the domains of family, friendship and work. Dhivehi is the unique Indo-Aryan language spoken almost exclusively in the Maldives along with English as the unofficial second language. A total of 150 professionals from the fields of education, administration and health took part in the study with academic qualifications ranging from diploma to doctorate degree. The data was collected using a survey questionnaire and analysed quantitatively. The findings revealed that Dhivehi is the dominant language in the family domain while English is dominant in the friendship and work domains. There is also a relationship between language choice and age, and English language proficiency. The high preference for English in online written communication indicates a need for a language policy that would emphasise and increase the use of Dhivehi online as a language maintenance effort. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2016 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/35273/1/Language%20choice%20in%20online%20written%20communication%20among%20Maldivian%20professionals.pdf Fahmee, Fathimath and Yong, Mei Fung (2016) Language choice in online written communication among Maldivian professionals. 3L: Language, Linguistics, Literature, 22 (2). pp. 49-66. ISSN 0128-5157 http://ejournal.ukm.my/3l/article/view/11345
spellingShingle Fahmee, Fathimath
Yong, Mei Fung
Language choice in online written communication among Maldivian professionals
title Language choice in online written communication among Maldivian professionals
title_full Language choice in online written communication among Maldivian professionals
title_fullStr Language choice in online written communication among Maldivian professionals
title_full_unstemmed Language choice in online written communication among Maldivian professionals
title_short Language choice in online written communication among Maldivian professionals
title_sort language choice in online written communication among maldivian professionals
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/35273/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/35273/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/35273/1/Language%20choice%20in%20online%20written%20communication%20among%20Maldivian%20professionals.pdf