Lower domain language shift in Taiwan: The case of Southern Min

This paper presents data from a quantitative survey based on 746 written questionnaires and 23 semi-structured interviews. The main purpose of the study was to measure Southern Min and Mandarin lower domain language use among a cross-section of Taiwan’s multilingual population. As organizing elements for our discussion of Taiwan’s current language situation, we made use of Sridhar’s notion of societal multilingualism as well as Ó Riagáin’s idea that the home is possibly the first domain to exhibit language shift. This study followed Ó Riagáin by focusing our research on lower domain language use as well as relevant political determinants. We investigated whether Southern Min speakers tend to prefer a Taiwanese rather than Chinese identity, and whether the Taiwanese link their language choice to age, gender, and region of origin. Political improvements in Taiwan for the past two decades did enable the Taiwanese to compete with the Mainlanders who moved to Taiwan and they now have a stronger case to promote the status of Southern Min and maintain it. Evidence of language shift was discovered: proficiency in Mandarin by the Taiwanese is increasing, while that in Southern Min is decreasing. It is predicted that this language shift will continue, but that the attitudes held by Taiwanese toward their ethnic identity might slow down such a process considerably.