Multilingualism and Ethnolinguistic Identity in Nepal

In this book I have discussed how indigenous people position their ethnolinguistic identity in the multilingual context of Nepal, looked at the reasons behind the shift and loss of the ethnolinguistic identity and analysed the role of language policy of Nepal in the ethnolinguistic identity maintenance. One of the issues discussed in the book is that individuals can maintain their ethnolinguistic identity by showing high ethnolinguistic vitality even though they speak the dominant languages to access social resources and construct multiple identities. I have also discussed that the link between language and ethnicity is not explicit i.e. participants’ ethnolinguistic identity is no longer linked with proficiency of their mother tongue. This indicates that the traditional interpretation of the ethnolinguistic identity as a direct link of ethnicity and language does not fit in the multilingual context where individuals have to negotiate multiple identities for survival and to acquire positive social identities.