Explore the vast range of titles available.

Codeswitching, which has become the subject of much debate and controversy among different scholars due to its pros and cons, is commonly employed in English as foreign language (EFL) classrooms. However, scant attention has been given to the functions and reasons of teachers' codeswitching in the Ethiopian context. In an attempt to fill this gap, this study aimed to determine the functions and motivations of EFL teachers' codeswitching practices. To this end, three English teachers participated in the study from one secondary school in Ethiopia. The study used audio-assisted observations, field notes and stimulated recall interviews as data collection methods in contrast to studies which relied only on self-reported data. Data were categorized according to Ferguson's typology of functions of classroom codeswitching. The results indicated that teachers codeswitched for academic, managerial and social functions. Furthermore, this study revealed that students' limited English proficiency, teachers' beliefs, the types and the natures of language skills were the major influencing factors for their codeswitching practices. Thus, teachers need to be aware of codeswitching to use it as a valuable instrument for teaching English rather than adhering blindly to English-only rule and ashamed of codeswitching acts. Moreover, as codeswitching is an inseparable part of classroom discourse and something that should not be avoided, teacher training programs should incorporate codeswitching as an effective teaching strategy.

The paper explores English discourse markers (DMs) in bilingual ­Estonian-English blogs and vlogs. The research questions are: (1) What are the functions of English DMs that appear in Estonian bilingual speech of vloggers and bloggers? (2) Is there any difference between vlogs and blogs as far as English DMs are concerned? 45 blogs and 8 vlogs were analysed (365,973 and 73,858 tokens respectively). The results show that the prevalent type of DMs were evaluatives, while the share of interactional performatives and markers of discourse structure and force was similar. The attractiveness of expressive meaning explains the preference for evaluative. The tendencies in blogs and vlogs are similar but the number of DMs in vlogs is higher because it is an oral genre.

This paper argues that a set of codeswitching data has implications for the nature of cognitive control in bilingualism and for models of language production in general. The data discussed are Embedded Language (EL) nonfinite verbs that occur in Matrix Language (ML) frames with appropriate ML inflectional morphology in some codeswitching (CS) corpora. Notably EL infinitives are involved, as in wo mu conçevoir be nuɖe . . . “they don't imagine that something . . .” (from Ewe–French CS). The main argument is that such nonfinite forms are selected because they only need checking at the lexical-conceptual level of abstract structure with the speaker's intended semantic-pragmatic meaning. That is, they do not project information about syntactic and argument structure that is included in the abstract structure of finite verbs. Nonfinite EL verbs occur because they better satisfy the speaker's intentions regarding semantic and pragmatic meaning than NL finite verbs. The employment of nonfinite EL verbs instead of EL finite verbs partially explains why codeswitching in general and such verb phrases in particular is perceived as fast and effortless. How one lexical entry (the EL nonfinite verb) can take on the morphosyntactic role of another one (the ML finite verb) implies flexibility in cognitive control at an abstract level. It also implies a certain malleability at an abstract level in the ML morphosyntactic frame that makes it possible to take in a nonfinite verb in a slot for a finite verb.

The present study explores Spanish-English speakers’ attitudes toward bilingual discourse in the Upstate of South Carolina. Implementing a mixed methods approach, survey data and sociolinguistic interviews targeting bilinguals’ attitudes toward English-origin nonce borrowings, loanshifts, and codeswitching were examined. Quantitative analyses revealed that monolingual examples were significantly preferred over bilingual examples. Of the bilingual survey items, speakers accepted loanshifts more than nonce borrowings. Self-reported balanced bilinguals and second-generation Latinos rated lexical innovations more favorably than their counterparts. Results of the qualitative analyses indicate that the majority of participants expressed a neutral or negative opinion toward language contact phenomena, whereas a minority regarded it as an important communicative resource and a symbol of identity. It is argued that negative perceptions of bilingual discourse can be attributed to normative monolingual and monoglossic language ideologies as well as to the belief that non-standard language practices represent language degeneration. The article concludes with a call to action of informing the community of the harmful attitudes toward bilingual discourse in an effort to shift pervasive language attitudes in the Upstate and the country.

This study examines the simultaneous use of English and Chinese by speakers of Chinese as a heritage language (CHL). It focuses on spontaneous, dynamic, and high-density mixing of the two languages within the smallest building block of a speaking turn: the turn constructional unit (TCU). Drawing upon data from different age and proficiency groups, it shows that CHL speakers migrate between and mingle the two language systems freely and frequently at multiple and nested levels of phonemes, morphemes, syllable structures, tones, noun and verb phrases, and clauses. It reconsiders existing syntactic descriptions, sociopragmatic taxonomies, and conversation-analytic accounts concerning codeswitching and concludes that rather than being governed by fixed, a priori linguistic constraints, sociopragmatic meaning, or conversation-sequential contingency, this type of ad hoc, intra-TCU codeswitching is accomplished with a full range of verbal resources from both languages that are simultaneously accessible to the speaker and might be accounted for by a type of rationality characterized by fuzzy logical conditions. It further suggests that, pushing and breaking perceptible linguistic boundaries, CHL speakers celebrate their multi-competence, traverse invisible cultural and identity boundaries, and employ and enjoy both languages at all ages and proficiency levels in transient and transcendent multi-performances, which in turn can become a rich resource for heritage language socialization across the lifespan. (Verlag).

This paper investigates the speech variety of the English–Spanish community of Miami, which features a high degree of English–Spanish bilingualism. Specifically, it explores intensification, a site of analytic–synthetic conflict between English and Spanish grammars. English predominantly uses lexical-analytic strategies (e.g., very beautiful, a big house) for intensification, whereas Spanish employs more morphological-synthetic markers (e.g., guapísimo ‘very beautiful’, un casón ‘a big house’). Concretely, the current study aims to investigate whether Miami bilinguals have preferences in terms of the language or strategy of choice to express intensification and whether these preferences are influenced by intralinguistic (e.g., semantic-pragmatic function of the intensifier) or extralinguistic factors (e.g., speakers’ proficiency in, acquisition of, and attitudes toward both languages). To this end, an empirical study is conducted on three corpora, one bilingual and two monolingual ones. In this study, a wide variety of both analytic and synthetic intensifiers is found. The qualitative and quantitative findings reveal that Miami bilinguals use more English than Spanish intensifiers and favor analytic intensifiers over synthetic ones. However, among the Spanish intensifiers, the proportion of synthetic forms is significantly higher than among the English intensifiers.

Long-term contact with English has led to the presence in Guernésiais of a considerable number of lone English-origin lexical items (Jones, 2015). Although the presence of such items was being noted as far back as the nineteenth century, this is the first study to analyse and document them systematically. Using extensive original data, it examines these lexical items in relation to each part of speech and discusses their use in Guernésiais in the broader context of language contact. The study also considers whether, and how, lone English-origin lexical items become assimilated phonologically and morphosyntactically and whether frequency and motivation have a bearing on their usage. Le contact de longue durée avec l’anglais a conduit à la présence en guernésiais d’un nombre considérable d’éléments lexicaux isolés d’origine anglaise (Jones, 2015). Bien que la présence de ces éléments ait été notée dès le dix-neuvième siècle, cette étude est la première à les analyser et à les documenter de manière systématique. À l’aide de nombreuses données originales, elle examine ces éléments lexicaux en relation avec chaque partie du discours et discute de leur utilisation en guernésiais dans le contexte plus large du contact linguistique. L'étude examine également si, et comment, les éléments lexicaux isolés d’origine anglaise sont assimilés sur le plan phonologique et morphosyntaxique et si la fréquence et la motivation ont une influence sur leur utilisation.

It is quite commonplace for bilingual speakers to use two or more languages, dialects or varieties in the same conversation, without any apparent effort. The phenomenon, known as code-switching, has become a major focus of attention in linguistics. This concise and original study explores how, when and where code-switching occurs. Drawing on a diverse range of examples from medieval manuscripts to rap music, novels to advertisements, emails to political speeches, and above all everyday conversation, it argues that code-switching can only be properly understood if we study it from a variety of perspectives. It shows how sociolinguistic, psycholinguistic, grammatical and developmental aspects of code-switching are all interdependent, and findings in each area are crucial to others. Breaking down barriers across the discipline of linguistics, this pioneering book confronts fundamental questions about what a 'native language' is, and whether languages can be meaningfully studied outside of the individuals who use them.

This article investigates forms and functions of multilingual practices among German-speaking expatriates in Finland in an online community. It focuses on Finnish codeswitches in otherwise German forum messages in a material that consists of 179 discussion threads with a total of 616 Finnish codeswitches. The structural analysis of the Finnish codeswitches revealed that most of the Finnish codeswitches were intrasentential switches – most often common and proper nouns. Switches of other parts of speech such as verbs and adjectives occurred significantly less often. Almost half of the Finnish nouns were orthographically adapted into German through capitalisation of the initial letter. The functional analysis showed that codeswitches referring to Finnish culture and society were common. Other central functions included metalinguistic commentary, slips of the tongue, greetings and closings, reported speech, and reiteration. The forum members largely relied on their shared knowledge of Finnish and Finland, and only some codeswitches were translated into German. The findings of this study indicate that these Finnish codeswitches are an expression of the multicultural and multilingual lives and identities of the forum members. Codeswitching to Finnish serves both as a means of communicating their shared Finnish experience and as a signal of membership in the online community.

Despite the burgeoning Latino population in the Midwest, research on language attitudes in this region remains sparse. This study addresses this gap by examining language attitudes and beliefs towards Spanish in the Northwest Indiana region, one of the oldest Latino immigration gateways in the Midwest. Data collected from a 2018–2019 sociolinguistic survey, involving 236 participants representative of the local Latino community, form the basis of the analysis. The study aims to elucidate attitudes towards various Spanish dialects, particularly the local variety. Findings indicate widespread acceptance of the local Spanish variety, with participants viewing its divergence from Mexican or Puerto Rican Spanish as normal and inevitable. Despite perceptions of linguistic mixing with English, the community’s Spanish is valued as an effective communication tool and cultural asset, including in educational settings. This positive attitude towards a stigmatized linguistic variety suggests a preference for any form of Spanish over none, particularly in situations of low Spanish language maintenance. The study of language attitudes shows that speakers will tend to reproduce in their speech new ways of speaking that they find acceptable. This generalized behavior, in turn, leads toward linguistic change.