Parental perspectives on language attrition in the Galo tribe of Arunachal Pradesh

Abstract

The gradual loss of linguistic diversity among the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh is a pressing reality. Various reasons are being considered behind the language ^[1] crisis. Factors such as language shift ^[2] Socio-economic influences, religious changes, migration, the impact of modern education, the absence of a uniform language in the state, a lack of social interaction using the native language, etc, contribute to this issue. The present paper aims to examine the perspectives of the parents of the Galo tribe of Arunachal Pradesh regarding the attrition of their native language among the younger generation, particularly addressing the dilemma faced by parents who bear the responsibility of transferring linguistic knowledge to their children, who are often the first generation to recognize the language attrition. To fulfill the objectives, the perspectives of parents from 60 households, 10 each from 6 villages in West Siang, have been collected.