Interrelationship Between Ethnicity and Mother Tongues in Nepal

Abstract

This paper investigates the intensity of the interrelationship between ethnicity and mother tongues in Nepal with reference to language vitality, ethnic identity, mother tongue education, and power dynamics. Based on the published and available data this study is based on descriptive and analytic approach within the perspective of transformative worldview. It has identified varying levels of complexity in the relationship between ethnicity and mother tongues in Nepal. Except for the major mother tongues associated with caste groups, most of the mother tongues spoken by the ethnic communities categorized into different tiers of marginalization are endangered. There appears a weakened ethnic identity, a lack of mother tongue education, and a loss of power dynamics in the ethnic groups in Nepal which helps to reduce the perplexing societal pressure for learning English and Nepali at the cost of mother tongues. More importantly, stakeholders like local governments, local communities as well as experts have to work together to implement community-based activities or strategies to build a stronger relationship between ethnicity and mother tongues in Nepal.