O sentimento de identidade e o processo de manutenção/substituição linguística: o caso de São Bento de Urânia, Espírito Santo

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the role of the feeling of identity in the maintenance or replacement of a heritage language. Specifically, we seek to analyze the sociolinguistic situation of the veneto language among the descendants of Italian immigrants in the district of São Bento de Urânia, Alfredo Chaves, Espírito Santo. This study also aims to discuss the language policies in relation to minority languages and how the State and society have been dealing with this issue. This is a qualitative-interpretative study, involving a significant region in the history of Italian immigration in the state of Espírito Santo. This research is part of the field of studies of Linguistic Contacts, and the methodological procedures used to obtain the data consisted of participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and the administration of sociolinguistic questionnaires. The results obtained indicate that the identity of the informants as Italians is a strong factor in maintenance of the Venetian language, despite the significant loss of its domains of use over the years, related to causes such as the repression policy of the Estado Novo, in the Vargas era, the role of the school as a public institution that conveys a homogenizing teaching of the Portuguese language and linguistic prejudice. The study concludes that despite the feeling of identity being strongly present in the community, in daily life and cultural manifestations, she was not able to maintain the language of the former immigrants. However, it is the main factor in revitalizing this language.