Indicators of Bilingual Proficiency in Nepali Among Tibeto-Burman Peoples of Nepal
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Statement of Responsibility:
Webster, Jeffrey David
Series Issue:
Issue Date:
2011
Date Created:
1995
Publisher:
SIL International
Publisher Place:
Is Part Of Series:
SIL Electronic Survey Reports 2011-034
Extent:
Abstract:
The myth of bilingualism suggests that everyone in Nepal is fluent in Nepali; however,
this study shows large segments of the Tibeto-Burman population are only minimally proficient
in speaking and understanding Nepali.
This thesis presents data on bilingual proficiency collected in 1992 and 1993 from
speakers in seven different Tibeto-Burman ethnolinguistic groups in rural Nepal. Over five
hundred subjects were tested, using sentence repetition tests. These data are correlated with
demographic variables to show the significant indicators of Nepali proficiency among the
target populations.
The results show that only well-educated subjects are comparably proficient with
mother-tongue Nepali speakers. Because the same demographic factors in different areas
produce parallel patterns of second-language proficiency, the most significant factors can
comprise a model to substantially predict Nepali bilingualism. Based on extensive field data,
these results provide a powerful tool for language policy and planning in Nepal.
Publication Status:
Published
Country:
Nepal
Subject Languages:
Content Language:
Work Type:
Subject:
Has Version:
Webster, Jeffrey D
1995
Entry Number:
41676