This monograph is concerned with the issue of language maintenance and/or shift (LMS) among different generations of Sylheti migrants, one of the South Asian communities currently living in Leeds, UK. It is an in-depth survey of the language behavior, attitudes, and perceptions of the Sylheti Bangladeshis from an ethnographic perspective. The book shows that while the Sylheti regard Bangla as their mother tongue, the Sylheti language is dominant among the immediate and extended family members and friends in this encapsulated Leeds community.

The book is comprised of five chapters. Ch. 1 introduces the sociohistoric and sociopolitical background and the linguistic characteristics of the two languages, as well as the sociopsychological perceptions of the Sylheti people toward the Bangla language as it relates to their national and ethnic identity. Ch. 2 is an overview of the major approaches to the study of LMS, which focus on language as a core element of ethnicity. It outlines the theoretical framework adopted for this study, including the ideas of additive and subtractive bilingualism. Ch. 3 deals with the fieldwork procedures in fifty households in Leeds, including the methods used to elicit verbal data, the structuring of questions, and the interpretation of responses. Ch. 4 provides a detailed analysis of Leeds data. It proposes that the use of the Sylheti language is most strongly influenced by the history and sociology of Bangla, as opposed to its habitual use in their everyday life in Leeds. The analysis reveals that religion and national identity emerge as important generational symbols of identity; the younger generation perceives itself first and foremost as Muslim while the older generation identifies itself as Bangladeshi. Despite its relatively low status, limited institutional support, and nonexistent written form, the Sylheti language coexists with the more widely supported Bangla language and remains the lingua franca of an overwhelming majority of the Bangladeshis in the UK. This phenomenon is explained in terms of ethnic vitality, migration patterns, dense kinship networks, and a long tradition of arranged marriage. After a summary of the major findings on LMS among the Sylheti Bangladeshis in Leeds, Ch. 5 concludes by suggesting the future emergence of Sylheti-English bilingualism in this community, concurrent with continuing Bangla-Sylheti bilingualism and high regard for Bangla.