从语言活力到语言韧力:语言生态评估理念的优化

From Language Vitality to Language Resilience

语言活力概念及评估要素源自民族语言活力的相关研究;自费什曼提出用于测量语言濒危程度的8级梯度"代际语言传承损耗量表"(GIDS)之后,学界常将该量表用于评估濒危语言的活力程度;2003年,教科文组织颁布《语言活力与语言濒危》规范文件,确立了评估语言活力与濒危程度的9项指标。近年来,一些学者不断发现现有语言活力评估框架中存在的问题,并提出语言韧力概念,认为语言活力仅着眼于当前状态,而语言韧力着眼于长远趋势。语言与语言比较,不是比谁的使用者人口多,也不是比谁的地位和声望高,而是比谁在历史长河中更有抗压力,更能够渡过困难,更具生存力。语言韧力可用于描述一种语言在逆境下适应环境甚至茁壮成长的能力。当前,语言韧力的研究主要集中在两个方面,一是心理韧力,即与民族精神、文化传统、语言意识形态、语言忠诚度等因素相关的主观语言活力;二是生态韧力,即流动群体,如移民、客居劳工群体、长期流浪民族对语言环境的抗压力。

The concept of language vitality and its assessment elements originate from the relevant research on ethnolinguistic vitality.After Fishman proposed the Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale(GIDS),which is used to measure the degree of language endangerment,the scale is often used to assess the vitality of endangered languages.In 2003,UNESCO issued the document "Language Vitality and Language Endangerment",establishing nine indicators for assessing language vitality.Considering the problems in the existing framework of language vitality assessment,this paper puts forward the concept of linguistic resilience.Language vitality only focuses on the current state,while language resilience focuses on the long-term trend.Language resilience can be used to describe a language’s capability to adapt to the environment or to thrive in adversity.At present,the study of language resilience mainly focuses on two aspects:(1) psychological resilience,i.e.the subjective language vitality related to linguistic culture,language ideology and language loyalty;(2) ecological resilience,i.e.pressure resistance of language ecology related mainly to mobile community.