LANGUAGE VITALITY AMONG THE YOUNG GENERATION OF A MINORITY ETHNIC GROUP IN SABAH

This research paper assessed the vitality of the Bisaya language, spoken by a minority ethnic group in the Beaufort district of Sabah. The study utilized a field survey method, distributing questionnaires to participants, 205 upper secondary students from the Bisaya ethnicity representing three national secondary schools. The authors employed the UNESCO language vitality assessment model. The findings indicated that Bisaya speakers are at risk within the larger population. The intergenerational transmission of the Bisaya language between older and younger generations is under threat, and its use across various domains is declining. Although some written materials in Bisaya are available, they primarily serve only a portion of the community; for others, the language may hold merely symbolic significance. Notably, there is no literacy education in the Bisaya language in the school curriculum. Despite these challenges, community members generally express positive attitudes toward preserving the language. While the quality and type of documentation for the Bisaya language are reasonable, the influence of the Malay language has begun to impact the home environment. The status of the Bisaya language demonstrates a clear risk of endangerment, even though its speakers have not yet transitioned to using another language. The authors recommend that the Language Development Agency of the Ministry of Education, Malaysia, establish an ethnolinguistic framework for revitalizing the vitality of the Bisaya language.