Language choice among Chinese-Indonesian children in Palembang City

Abstract

Abstract This study examines the language choices among four- to six-year old Chinese-Indonesian children in various social domains to identify patterns of choice and analyze sociocultural factors that significantly affect their language choices. The results show that Chinese-Indonesian children’s language choice is highly patterned based on the type of social domains and interlocutors. Their choices are influenced by three major factors: (1) language attitude including parental attitude and the attitude of the indigenous population; (2) language habit formed at home; (3) social domain and context of communication.