The Relationship Between Jejueo Commodification and Domestic Tourists’ Perceptions of Jejueo

https://doi.org/10.65161/recBf8QBvxvZ3483A

This study examines the relationship between the commodification of Jejueo, an endangered language spoken on Jeju Island, in tourist contexts and the perceptions of the language held by domestic tourists. It aims to contribute to a better understanding of the effect of language commodification on language preservation in the context of Jeju Island. The study used a quantitative correlational design supported by qualitative responses and collected data from 46 tourists at Jeju International Airport. Exposure to commodified Jejueo was measured using a Likert scale survey, and “perception,” divided into recognition of cultural value, general interest, acknowledgement of preservation importance, and willingness to learn the language, was also measured by means of a Likert scale. Qualitative responses gave opinions on the correlation between commodification and perception, as well as the general perception of the commodification of Jejueo. Pearson correlation analysis on the quantitative data revealed a moderate positive correlation between exposure and perception (r = .377, p = .010), indicating that greater exposure is associated with more positive perceptions. Qualitative findings largely supported this trend. These results suggest that commodification may contribute to more positive perceptions of Jejueo and may therefore support language preservation efforts.