Gurung: A language in retreat in Hong Kong

The Gurungs are an ethnic group of Nepal who dwelled
in the laps of the Himalayas for centuries. About 150
years ago they began to serve foreign armies and that
brought them into contact with the outside world.
Since then, the Gurungs have begun to settle in urban
areas, countries of their employment and developed
nations which offer better future prospects. Like
many other emigrant communities, the Gurungs have
also become vulnerable to losing some of their very
personal and most important asset; language and culture.

The present research study investigates if the
emigrant Gurung community of Hong Kong will continue
to speak their ancestral language in the future or if
they will succumb to more dominant languages
surrounding this community. The findings of this
study conclude that the Gurungs may not speak their
language in Hong Kong much further into the future..

This work is an effort to draw the attention of
linguists to a receding language before it is too
late. And, it is also an effort to explain the future
of the Gurung language to its own speakers, so that
they can see for themselves where their language is
headed for.

Autorentext

MA TESOL, Diploma of Education, RSA TEFL cert.:Studied in Nepal and abroad. He is interested in recedinglanguages, especially of Nepal. He has been an ESL teacher inNepal, Hong Kong and Brunei for more than two decades. Atpresent he is teaching at the Japanese InternationalSchool, Hong Kong.

Klappentext

The Gurungs are an ethnic group of Nepal who dwelledin the laps of the Himalayas for centuries. About 150years ago they began to serve foreign armies and thatbrought them into contact with the outside world.Since then, the Gurungs have begun to settle in urbanareas, countries of their employment and developednations which offer better future prospects. Likemany other emigrant communities, the Gurungs havealso become vulnerable to losing some of their verypersonal and most important asset; language and culture. The present research study investigates if theemigrant Gurung community of Hong Kong will continueto speak their ancestral language in the future or ifthey will succumb to more dominant languagessurrounding this community. The findings of thisstudy conclude that the Gurungs may not speak theirlanguage in Hong Kong much further into the future..This work is an effort to draw the attention oflinguists to a receding language before it is toolate. And, it is also an effort to explain the futureof the Gurung language to its own speakers, so thatthey can see for themselves where their language isheaded for.