Family language policy among new order regime generations of Medan Chinese heritage language speakers: language practice, beliefs, and self-management
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Marlim, Yenny
[1]
;
Rang, Zihe
[1]
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[1] Wuhan University
Wuhan University
China
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- Localización: Journal of multilingual and multicultural development, ISSN 0143-4632, Vol. 47, Nº. 5, 2026, págs. 3284-3310
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
Chinese heritage language (CHL) in superdiverse Indonesia is still less studied, especially concerning family language policy issues. This study examined the language practice of 150 Medan CHL speakers through questionnaires and interviewed 10 participants to explore their language beliefs and self-management in the background of the New Order regime (assimilation policy). Research findings show that Medan CHL speakers are multilingual in four to six languages, with the best proficiency in Bahasa Indonesia and Hokkien in second place. The assimilation influences their proficiency in Bahasa Indonesia and forms their ‘macro-identity’ as Indonesia’s legal citizens. Surprisingly, as part of being banned, Hokkien has been a successful intergenerational HL transmission and vibrant for over a decade. The fluency and high-frequency use of Hokkien as the home and community language form their ‘micro-identity’ as Medan Chinese (Hokkien is the ‘trademark’), despite their different ancestors’ roots, e.g. Cantonese, Hakka, etc. Sociopolitical force impacted their language behaviours; the early New Order-born put more conscious effort into learning English, while the late New Order-born were concerned more with Mandarin learning. This study also reveals the Medan CHL dynamics and its under-explored factors encompassing multi-disciplinary fields and expands upon FLP and LSM theory in superdiverse contexts.
