The language behaviour of the physiotherapists in Hong Kong : studies from a social psychological perspective

Abstract

The present study examined language behaviour of the physiotherapists in Hong Kong. It intended to construct a linguistic repertoire of the local physiotherapists with respect to six domains. Differences in perception of social power and ethnolinguistic vitality regarding different language choices were also investigated. A questionnaire was administered to sixty-one local physiotherapists. In-depth interviews were then conducted to gain a deeper understanding of their language use. Results indicated that different languages were used in different domains. Contrary to previous studies, there was no significant difference in perception of social power and ethnolinguistic vitality with regard to language choices. As a habitual language choice was far from being a random matter, the notion of domain of language behaviour helped organize and clarify previously unstructured awareness on language use.