Publications

Publication details [#60256]

Perera, Nirukshi. 2015. The maintenance of Sri Lankan languages in Australia – comparing the experience of the Sinhalese and Tamils in the homeland. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 36 (3) : 297–312.

Publication type

Article in journal

Publication language

English

Keywords

immigrant | language maintenance | language shift | nationalism | religion

Language as a subject

Sinhala | Tamil

Place, Publisher

Routledge

Journal WWW

www.multilingual-matters.com/multi/onlinej.asp

Annotation

This study examines whether the distinct Sri Lankan motherland situation for Sinhala and Tamil speakers caused quantifiably distinct language maintenance practices in Sinhalese and Tamil migrants in Australia. Ethnic religion piety and nationalism appear to enhance language maintenance.