Rethinking the “Semi-speaker”: Proficiency Labels, Speaker Identity, and Language Revitalization

In many modern language revitalization efforts, linguists use proficiency labels such as “native speaker,” “semi-speaker,” and “new speaker” to classify users of Indigenous languages into different categories based on their supposed language fluency. However, these labels may have the unintended consequence of affecting a speaker’s motivation to continue learning their heritage language. This paper proposes a new view of language revitalization through the lens of language identity that incorporates all versions of language (e.g. traditional and modern) into revitalization efforts. By first analyzing the relationship between proficiency labels and both speaker motivation and language identity, this article aims to demonstrate the importance of "semi-speakers" to language revitalization efforts. Paired with interviews with four current speakers of different Native American languages, this paper pushes for a shift in the focus of language revitalization.