Reason Behind Language Choice
Why do you speak Thai?
Why do you speak Mandarin?
Why would you mixing English and Cantonese in one sentence?
The answer might varies from person to person, but the choice of using a certain language often related to one’s language attitude (may such attitude be consciously or unconsciously perceived).
Just like what Mingyue Gu proposes:
“Different languages position their speakers in different symbolic spaces, language users employ a variety of languages for different identification purposes, and exercise symbolic power in various ways in order to be heard and respected.” (Gu, 2010)
So, it is always interesting to study why a person speaks the way he speaks (HAHA, or maybe it is just me being a linguistic). In this case, let’s find out more about the language choice and language attitude of our Thai family.