Mayan Languages in Belize: Evidence from Language Attitude Fieldwork on Language Vitality and Endangerment

• In Event: Sociolingüística/Lingüística Aplicada, Cultural y Social

Abstract

This presentation focuses on the factors underlying the precarious situation of Maya Mopan and Maya Kekchi, two minority languages spoken in southern Belize. We carried out fieldwork in Punta Gorda, Belize in April and November 2013. Our surveys and the quantitative and qualitative data we collected are completely novel in the literature, and our study is the first of any kind to recognize Mayans as native speakers of Kriol.

We conducted verbal guise surveys [Kristiansen (2009, 2011)] on the streets of Punta Gorda and at the campus of the University of Belize-Punta Gorda, interviewing a total of 169 Belizeans representing a wide variety of ethnic and professional backgrounds. While it was not our initial hypothesis, our study inadvertently shed light on the language shift that Maya Mopan and Maya Kekchi are undergoing in Belize. Statistical analyses reveal generational and gender differences in attitudes, while qualitative data reveals why young Mayans show a markedly higher preference for Belizean Kriol. Our data shows that Mayan women in their early twenties, more than any other demographic group, attribute the highest prestige to Belizean Kriol. Our paper discusses the factors that are contributing to language endangerment, while also highlighting factors at the individual, community and national level that might help counter the situation.

Author

• William Salmon, University of Minnesota