Urban dynamics An impression of Surabaya's sociolinguistic setting

• Main Author: Tom Gunnar Hoogervorst
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Indonesia 2009-04-01
• Series: Wacana: Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia
• Subjects: urban social environment, javanese language, surabaya, linguistics, language contact, slang, and indonesian media.
• Online Access: http://wacana.ui.ac.id/index.php/wjhi/article/view/143

This paper examines the sociolinguistic situation in the city of Surabaya, by<br />presenting an impression of various phenomena unique to Indonesia’s second<br />largest city. A surprisingly little amount of linguistic research has heretofore been<br />carried out on this subject, whereas it transpires from this study that enough<br />intriguing and unique things can be found in this Southeast Asian metropolis,<br />both among its Javanese majority as well as its Madurese and Chinese inhabitants.<br />Due to the lack of earlier relevant publications, this research is largely based on<br />the results of several fieldwork trips, which included the pleasant activities of<br />watching television, interviewing people and making excursions in and around<br />Surabaya to experience how languages are used in daily life. Additionally,<br />concepts such as “language mixing”, “slang” and “attitudes towards language”<br />are involved and considered very significant in disentangling the role and<br />function of language in an urban setting.