Beyond Fluency: Language Attitudes, Identity, and Preservation Intentions Among Young Diaspora Speakers of Usku, Papua

Azhari Azhari; Ahmad Taufiq; Muhammad Zikrullah

doi:10.63924/jsid.v8i1.364

Authors

Azhari Azhari University of Pannonia
Ahmad Taufiq Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta
Muhammad Zikrullah University of Rhode Island

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63924/jsid.v8i1.364

Keywords:

Usku Language, Language Shift, Papuan Language Isolate, Youth Identity, Language Attitude

Abstract

The rapid shift toward dominant lingua francas threatens Papua’s extraordinary linguistic diversity, placing moribund isolates like Usku (Afra) at immediate risk of extinction. This study investigates the language attitudes, ideologies, and ethnic identity negotiations of the young Usku diaspora generation residing outside their ancestral territory in Keerom Regency, Papua. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected from N=173 diaspora youth (100 males, 73 females) through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using JASP Statistics. The empirical results reveal a pronounced asymmetry between low self-reported Usku competence (M=1.84) and high cognitive (M=4.21) and affective (M=3.89) language attitudes. Crucially, structural language competence showed no statistically significant correlation with ethnic identity strength (r=.12, p=.116), demonstrating that youth decouple active fluency from ethnic self-identification. Inferential testing identified a significant gender difference in affective attachment, with young women exhibiting higher emotional attachment to the heritage language than men (p=.006). Multiple linear regression indicated that affective attitude is the strongest predictor of youth preservation intentions (β=.40, p<.001), outranking cognitive valuation and baseline fluency. These findings imply that classical models linking fluency loss directly to identity erosion must be re-evaluated in Papuan diaspora contexts. Furthermore, effective revitalization initiatives must move beyond traditional grammatical codification to prioritize emotionally engaging, youth-centered, and culturally immersive platforms.

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