LANGUAGE MAINTENANCE OF HOKKIEN AMONG CHINESE SPEAKERS IN STABAT

Language maintenance refers to the situation where speech community continue to use its vernacular language. This study deals with the language maintenance of Hokkien among Chinese speakers in Stabat. This study is aimed to (1) identify the factor, to find out the way, and to find out the reason of Hokkien Chinese speakers maintain their language. This study was conducted in qualitative research design. The participants of this study were 40 Hokkien Chinese people who consists of 20 parents and 20 childrens. The data was collected by giving 20 questionnaire and 10 questions in interview to get information or data. The data was analyzed by using Interactive Model by Miles, Hubberman and Saldana. The results of the research found that the factors which supported Hokkien Chinese maintenance in Stabat such as left together and see each other frequently. The strategies or the way of maintain their language by habitually used Hokkien language in daily communication, living together family member and relatives made Hokkien language as their home language, and the reason of the Chinese maintain the Hokkien language because they proud of their language, to express their identity as Hokkien Chinese ethnic, and so on.