Bilingualism, maintenance (or not) of varieties and German culture in Northern Mato Grosso

Abstract

This study is part of a broader research initiative supported by a scholarship from the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), implemented in 2021. The aim of the study is to investigate the situation of bilingualism (Grosjean, 2010) among descendants of German immigrants in Sinop, Northern Mato Grosso, focusing on the maintenance or language change related to the varieties of the German language and the associated culture. It also aims to reflect on the topodynamics (Altenhofen and Thun, 2016) of migrations and minority languages, emphasizing the need to consider linguistic contacts from an intervarietal and intercultural perspective (Figueiredo, 2014). The research is anchored in the principles of Pluridimensional Dialectology (Thun, 1996), emphasizing linguistic dynamics within the community. The qualitative theoretical-methodological approach combines interview accounts and a questionnaire (Krug, 2013) adapted to the local linguistic situation. Among the results, it highlights how the language/varieties are currently in a phase of assimilation (language shift to Portuguese) among older and younger generations. The study concludes that this approach is essential for understanding the linguistic reality in use and the importance of cultural and linguistic preservation in migration contexts.