How Facebook can revitalise local languages: lessons from Bali

Abstract

For a language to survive, it must be spoken and passed down to the next generation. But how can we engage teenagers – so crucial for language transmission – to use and value their local tongue when they are bombarded by pressures from outside and from within their society to only speak national and international languages? This paper analyses the extent to which social media can actively engage teenagers in using minority languages by examining a vibrant Balinese language Facebook group which is oriented to teens. The study finds that this particular group uses peer pressure and peer modelling to actively create space for young people to use Balinese 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of official policies, school practices, and family norms. By operating in the shadows outside of government, school, and family structures, this study suggests that social media can be a highly effective, low-cost, and easily implementable way to foster language revitalisation among the crucial young generation.

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