Document Type
Paper presentation
School Name
De La Salle University - The Academy
School Code
ARCH00049
Abstract / Executive Summary
Within the diverse linguistic landscape of Metro Manila, adult speakers of Ilocano navigate significant sociolinguistic challenges while striving to preserve their heritage language amidst intense competition from Filipino and English. This qualitative descriptive research examined adult Ilocano speakers’ lived experiences, perceptions, and challenges in urban environments. This research draws on the Heritage Language maintenance framework of Spolsky and the Sociolinguistic Identity Theory by Bucholtz and Hall to explore how the participants experience the use of language with its cultural value in the face of challenges to its maintenance. Preliminary findings suggest that Ilocano is used for personal communication and as a marker of cultural identity. People have a strong emotional attachment to the language; they see it as a cultural lifeline and a source of family and community pride. Still, they experience barriers, including a lack of opportunities to engage in the language, the pressure from society to use the Filipino and English languages, and the intergenerational change in the use of heritage languages. Despite these barriers, efforts for intergenerational transmission through family language practices remain central to maintaining Ilocano. The study underlines the need for supportive policies, community-driven initiatives, and increased visibility of Ilocano in educational and public spheres to sustain its vitality. This study contributes to the broader discussions on heritage language preservation in multilingual urban spaces, focusing on the interrelation between language, identity, and cultural protection while highlighting a qualitative descriptive methodology to documentation in the recording of complex, lived experiences.
Keywords:
Heritage language maintenance; adult speakers; sociolinguistic identity
Preserving Heritage in a Multilingual Metropolis: The Experiences, Perceptions, and Challenges of Ilocano Adults in Metro Manila
Within the diverse linguistic landscape of Metro Manila, adult speakers of Ilocano navigate significant sociolinguistic challenges while striving to preserve their heritage language amidst intense competition from Filipino and English. This qualitative descriptive research examined adult Ilocano speakers’ lived experiences, perceptions, and challenges in urban environments. This research draws on the Heritage Language maintenance framework of Spolsky and the Sociolinguistic Identity Theory by Bucholtz and Hall to explore how the participants experience the use of language with its cultural value in the face of challenges to its maintenance. Preliminary findings suggest that Ilocano is used for personal communication and as a marker of cultural identity. People have a strong emotional attachment to the language; they see it as a cultural lifeline and a source of family and community pride. Still, they experience barriers, including a lack of opportunities to engage in the language, the pressure from society to use the Filipino and English languages, and the intergenerational change in the use of heritage languages. Despite these barriers, efforts for intergenerational transmission through family language practices remain central to maintaining Ilocano. The study underlines the need for supportive policies, community-driven initiatives, and increased visibility of Ilocano in educational and public spheres to sustain its vitality. This study contributes to the broader discussions on heritage language preservation in multilingual urban spaces, focusing on the interrelation between language, identity, and cultural protection while highlighting a qualitative descriptive methodology to documentation in the recording of complex, lived experiences.
