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Cultural Heritage and Language Maintenance: Sustainable Regional Development

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Tourism, Culture, and Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 9969

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Linda Tsung

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Interests: applied linguistics; multilingualism and multilingual education; cultural heritage and identity; heritage; indigenous and community language teaching and learning

Dr. Peiru Tong

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Guest Editor

Institute of Education Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
Interests: language education; intercultural education; international and comparative education; second language acquisition; teaching Chinese as an additional language

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the context of globalization, transnationality and multilingualism, the preservation of regional cultural and language heritage has become foundational to the sustainable development of society. It is not only essential to a region’s sustainable economic growth and social stability but is also inextricably related to individual well-being. However, research on cultural heritage preservation, heritage language learning and language maintenance reveals challenges in the management of linguistic and cultural resources in both public spheres and families. In this sense, greater attention should be paid to the question of how cultural heritage and language maintenance can be better promoted in various contexts for more sustainable regional development. This Special Issue welcomes submissions addressing questions including, but not limited to, the following:

How do cultural heritage and language maintenance contribute to sustainable regional development?
What are the relationships between cultural/linguistic factors and socioeconomic variables?
What are the factors influencing the preservation of cultural heritage and language in a region?
What are the challenges in preserving a region’s cultural heritage and language maintenance?
How can these challenges be tackled for sustainable regional development?

We also welcome case studies of cultural heritage promotion, linguistic landscapes and language maintenance policies, planning and programs for sustainable regional development. We welcome submissions from authors in different regions worldwide to investigate these critical issues using diverse theoretical and methodological approaches.

Dr. Linda Tsung
Dr. Peiru Tong
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

cultural heritage
sustainability
heritage arts and music
minority, indigenous, and community language maintenance
heritage linguistic landscape
heritage social semiotic and typographic landscaping

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 14408 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Collapse of the Vaults of the Ambato Matriz Church in the 1949 Earthquake: A Response with a Technical Approach

by Fabián S. López-Ulloa, Esther Redondo Martínez, Ignacio Javier Gil Crespo, Andrea Goyes-Balladares and Luis Enrique Chávez-Rubio

Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 3918; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16103918 - 8 May 2024

Viewed by 621

Abstract

This research examines the structural behavior of the central vault of the Matriz church that collapsed during the 1949 earthquake in Ambato, Ecuador. Following the disaster, the church and Episcopal Palace were demolished. The central vault lacked buttresses and had large cracks two years before the collapse. A study was conducted using graphic restitution and the theory of limit analysis of structures to analyze the mechanical behavior of the central vault. The aim was to provide a technical explanation for the cause of the collapse beyond the impact of the earthquake. The limit analysis of structures is a tool that determines the technical stability conditions of a masonry structure using graphic statics. In this case, the respective checks of the structural behavior could be made, concluding that the structural ensemble of the central vault was unstable and could have collapsed at any moment, not necessarily due to an earthquake. The article is based on the research project “Architectural analysis of the central nucleus of Ambato between 1895 and 1949: styles, types, techniques, losses, and continuities”, which was conducted at the Universidad Técnica de Ambato, Ecuador, from 2021 to 2023. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cultural Heritage and Language Maintenance: Sustainable Regional Development)

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18 pages, 291 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Language Vitality and Sustainability of Minor Chinese Dialects: A Case Study of Dapeng, a Hakka–Cantonese Mixed Dialect

by Litong Chen

Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7478; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097478 - 2 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2151

Abstract

The Dapeng dialect is a unique Hakka–Cantonese mixed dialect spoken by several thousand speakers in the Dapeng peninsula in Shenzhen, Guangdong, and Manhattan, New York. This study reviews language vitality assessment frameworks for their applicability to Chinese languages and assesses the sustainability of the Dapeng dialect using the UNESCO Language Vitality and Endangerment scale. Despite some factors indicating low vitality, an overall assessment suggests a sustainable and vigorous use of the local dialect in the Dapeng community. This study shows that not all minor dialects in China are severely endangered. It sheds light on the complexities of language sustainability and vitality in multilingual societies, emphasizing the importance of using appropriate evaluative frameworks for an accurate view of language vitality in specific sociolinguistic ecologies. This study also contributes to discussions about language maintenance and policy in China, particularly under the tension between Putonghua and local dialects in the context of language sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cultural Heritage and Language Maintenance: Sustainable Regional Development)

18 pages, 5443 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Patterns Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Cultural Resources in the Yellow River National Cultural Park, China

by Dan Yuan, Runhan Wu, Dong Li, Lei Zhu and Yaguang Pan

Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6563; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086563 - 12 Apr 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1846

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the spatial patterns characteristics of cultural resources within the Yellow River National Cultural Park in China. Therefore, this paper plans to use Arcgis-10.8 software to describe the spatial patterns of cultural resources within the Yellow River National Cultural Park and use Geographic detector tools to study the influence of physical geography and social and human factors on the spatial distribution pattern of cultural resources. The results indicate that: (1) the cultural resources in the Yellow River National show a spatial distribution pattern that is dense in the east and sparse in the west; (2) the spatial patterns of cultural resources within the planning scope of the Yellow River National Cultural Park are clustered, and multiple high-density areas such as south of the Shanxi province, north of the North Henan and Middle Shaanxi have formed, and the area covered by intangible cultural heritage is larger than that of tangible cultural heritage; (3) cultural resources show a “triangular” spatial distribution pattern, intangible cultural heritage shows an “N” spatial distribution pattern, and tangible cultural heritage shows an inverted “V” spatial distribution structure; (4) the influence of a single factor on the spatial distribution pattern of cultural resources is limited. The interaction of multiple factors can significantly improve explanation, and the landscape layout of cultural resources is the main factor affecting the spatial patterns of cultural resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cultural Heritage and Language Maintenance: Sustainable Regional Development)

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17 pages, 1078 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Different Trajectories of Heritage Language Identity Development through Short-Term Study Abroad Programs: The Case of Chinese Heritage Learners

by Peiru Tong and Linda Tsung

Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6392; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086392 - 8 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1528

Abstract

Learners of heritage languages (HLs) comprise a heterogeneous population. Because of their diverse backgrounds, the ways in which their HL identity develops in a study abroad (SA) context may vary. This paper presents a case study of Chinese heritage language learners (CHLLs) from a university in Australia who participated in a short-term SA program in China. To achieve a holistic understanding of the learners’ identity development, this study adopted a three-dimensional framework of HL identity development, applied a narrative approach and focused on individual differences. Data were collected from 34 post-program journal reflections from CHLLs. The learners’ narratives indicated that they assigned different degrees of importance and distinct meanings to the SA experience with respect to their HL identity development. While some actively explored their HL identities, others took a more outsider stance and did not develop much in terms of HL identity. We identified several possible statuses of CHLLs’ identification, which were conceptualised as focused explorer, balanced explorer, partial explorer, meanderer and outsider. Future intervention could provide personalised feedback, comments and guidance on students’ post-program reflective journals, either in a more specific or holistic manner, and acknowledge each HL learner’s advantages and limitations in their reflections. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cultural Heritage and Language Maintenance: Sustainable Regional Development)

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14 pages, 600 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Home Literacy Environment and Chinese-Canadian First Graders’ Bilingual Vocabulary Profiles: A Mixed Methods Analysis

by Guofang Li, Zhuo Sun, Fubiao Zhen, Xuejun Ryan Ji and Lee Gunderson

Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 15788; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142315788 - 28 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1791

Abstract

Bilingual children in the North American context significantly improve in English language proficiency, but their heritage language learning varies between different linguistic groups. This mixed methods study was designed to explore the developmental patterns in bilingual vocabulary among Chinese-Canadian first-graders’ (N = 75) and to identify home factors that may have contributed to divergent bilingual developmental trajectories. Cluster analyses were conducted to identify underlying discrepancy profiles in bilingual oral lexicon. Four children with contrasting bilingual profiles were selected for qualitative analysis to explore home factors that may have contributed to the discrepancies. Thematic analyses of parental interviews revealed several family factors such as beliefs and attitudes toward bilingualism, quality literacy engagement, and sibling dynamics, that all appearing to contribute to the discrepancies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cultural Heritage and Language Maintenance: Sustainable Regional Development)

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