Lecture by Dr. Bhim Lal Gautam (Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu)

Date: 7 June 2023
Location: Collegium Novum room 104B
Time: 9:45 - 11:15

Abstract:

This presentation explores the various trends, causes and impacts of language contact in Kathmandu Valley, the multilingual capital valley of Nepal which is based on research on language use and attitudes of the four selected languages i.e. Sherpa, Newar, Tamang and Maithili. The study describes the various patterns of language use and attitudes in the cosmopolitan valley which entails a clear picture of various causes like migration, marriage, media and other aspects related to economy and ideological influences. The data were collected from 180 different informants having different ages, sex, profession and educational backgrounds through the use of in-depth open informal interviews, narratives, FGD (Focus Group Discussions) and informal observations. The quantitative data were analyzed and interpreted by using various statistical tools and the qualitative data on various themes based on socio-political interpretations. This research followed a mixed method by integrating qualitative (narratives, focus group discussions and interviews) and quantitative (ethnographic survey) data collection and analysis with Newar, Tamang, Maithili and Sherpa language-speaking communities living in Kathmandu Valley. From the data analysis, it is concluded that Nepal’s Multilingualism and diversity have created lots of language contact situations because of various socio-political reasons including the impact of globalization and M4 (Marriage, Media, Music and Migration) among the people of different ethnicities and geographical localities. In fact, the emergence of corporate power of dominant languages, and historical encroachment of these languages in traditionally monolingual communities (in the Kathmandu valley) leads to the gradual disappearance of the indigenous language, which is explicitly understood in the young generation’s diminishing interest in learning their mother tongues (Gautam & Poudel, 2022).

Keywords: attitude, shift, ideology, globalization, imperialism

References

• Gautam, B.L. & Poudel, P. (2022). Diversity, multilingualism and democratic practices in Nepal. Bandung Journal of Global South, 9, 80-102.
• Government of Nepal (2015). The constitution of Nepal 2015. Nepal Government, Minister of Law and Justice.

Short bio:

Bhim Lal Gautam, PhD is an assistant professor and RMC Coordinator at the Central Department of Linguistics, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Dr Gautam is a recipient of the James McCawley Fellowship Award (2005, LSA Institute, USA), ASLAN Fellowship Award (2014, CNRS, France), and Faculty Research Fellow (2012, 2016 & 2020 UGC, Nepal) among many others. He is the past president (2014-2016) of the Linguistic Society of Nepal and the Executive member of NELTA (2017-2024). His areas of interest are MLE, Language contact, Language politics, language policy and planning. Dr Gautam is the author of a book entitled Language Contact in Nepal: A Study of Language Use and Attitude (Palgrave Macmillan) and articles published by Palgrave Macmillan (Springer), Lincom Europa, Benjamins, Brill, Mouton De Gruyter, Routledge etc. in various reputed journals like International Journal of Multilingualism, Language Ecology, Bandung Journal of Global South, Journal of World languages etc. He has participated in and presented at more than two dozen of international conferences and workshops in the UK, France, Germany, Norway, Brazil, Sweden, the Netherlands, the USA, Australia, Korea, India, Thailand and so on.