The resilience of mother tongue-local languages, contributions of speaker owners, and obstacles to language policy implementation

Abstract

This paper examines the resilience of mother tongues, understood as local languages, from two key perspectives: the contribution of native speakers and the challenges in implementing language policy. As members of a speech community, native speakers play a crucial role in sustaining their language’s vitality. However, negative attitudes—such as apathy or indifference toward one’s native language—significantly undermine its resilience. Beyond the role of native speakers, the vulnerability, shift, and even extinction of local languages are also influenced by weak regulatory frameworks and the lack of effective monitoring at the implementation level. This condition underscores that the endurance of a local language is largely dependent on the endurance of its speakers. No matter how well-crafted policies and regulations may be, they remain ineffective and meaningless if native speakers themselves do not actively maintain their linguistic heritage. True linguistic resilience, therefore, emerges from the steadfast commitment of native speakers, supported by robust and enforceable language policies.