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New Approaches to Language Attitudes in the Hispanic and Lusophone World
Edited by Talia Bugel and Cecilia Montes-Alcalá
[Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics 25] 2020
► pp. 155–182

Language use, language attitudes and identity in Curaçao

| Utrecht University
This chapter presents the results of 471 questionnaires distributed in Curaçao in order to investigate patterns of language use, language attitudes and identity among participants belonging to different age groups and with different parental birthplaces. The results pointed out that the speech community of Curaçao is rather homogeneous. Papiamentu, the mother tongue of the majority of the population, is widely used and attitudes toward Papiamentu and Curaçaoan identity are overall very positive. A statistical analysis of the results indicated that the use of Papiamentu by informants with foreign-born parents correlated with positive attitudes toward the language and toward Curaçaoan identity. These findings provide important insights for language policy and planning, particularly in relation to the education system.
Keywords: identity, Curaçao, Papiamentu, language policy, education
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Ideologies and language attitudes in the Dutch Caribbean
  • Literature overview
  • Research questions and hypotheses
  • Methodology
    • The questionnaire
    • The statistical analysis
  • Results
    • Informants
    • Language use
    • The use of Dutch and Papiamentu
    • Proportion of language use
      • Use of Papiamentu
      • Use of Dutch
      • Use of English
      • Use of Spanish
    • Language attitudes: The importance of Papiamentu
      • Age
      • Parental birthplace
      • Interaction effect age and descent
    • Attitudes toward Curaçaoan identity
      • Age
      • Parental birthplace
    • Interaction effects: Parental birthplace, the use of Papiamentu and attitudes regarding language and Curaçaoan identity
  • Discussion
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
  • Appendix
Published online: 30 April 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ihll.25.07kes
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Cited by two other publications

Kester, Ellen-Petra & Samantha Buijink
2023. Language use, language attitudes, and identity in Aruba. Journal of Pidgin and Creole Languages 38:2 ► pp. 389 ff. DOI logo
Mijts, Eric, Ellen-Petra Kester & Nicholas G. Faraclas
2021. Challenges for Inclusive Education Through Home Languages in the Caribbean Part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In Transformative Pedagogical Perspectives on Home Language Use in Classrooms [Advances in Early Childhood and K-12 Education, ], ► pp. 172 ff. DOI logo

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