Language and Identity: Code-Switching Practices among Multilingual Communities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/ejl.2053Keywords:
Code-Switching, Multilingualism, Identity Construction, Translanguaging, Linguistic DiversityAbstract
Purpose: This study sought to analyze code switching practices among multilateral communities.
Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library.
Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to language and identity. Preliminary empirical review revealed that code-switching was a strategic tool for navigating and negotiating identities. It highlighted the practice's role in maintaining cultural heritage, aiding social integration, and enhancing professional advancement. The study emphasized the importance of code-switching in preserving linguistic traditions and managing social relationships. It concluded by recommending more inclusive language policies and educational practices that recognize the value of code-switching as a legitimate communicative practice.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Social Identity Theory, Communication Accommodation Theory and Ethnolinguistic Identity Theory may be used to anchor future studies on language and identity. The study recommended integrating Social Identity Theory with Communication Accommodation Theory for a holistic understanding of code-switching and suggested developing a new model to address language and identity interplay. In education, it advocated for translanguaging pedagogies and training for teachers to support multilingual students. In professional settings, it advised fostering language-inclusive environments and training programs to enhance linguistic awareness. Policy recommendations included implementing language policies that support multilingualism and linguistic rights. The study also emphasized promoting social integration through community programs and identified future research directions to further explore the relationship between language and identity.
Downloads
References
Adendorff, R. (2012). Codeswitching amongst Zulu-speaking teachers and their pupils: Its functions and implications for teacher education. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, 30(3), 219-233. doi:10.2989/16073614.2012.739021.
Androutsopoulos, J. (2015). Networked multilingualism: Some language practices on Facebook and their implications. International Journal of Bilingualism, 19(2), 185-205. doi:10.1177/1367006913489198.
Cavalcanti, M. C., & Maher, T. M. (2013). Multilingual Brazil: Language resources, identities, and ideologies in a globalized world. International Journal of Multilingualism, 10(3), 289-302. doi:10.1080/14790718.2013.808037.
Creese, A., & Blackledge, A. (2010). Translanguaging in the bilingual classroom: A pedagogy for learning and teaching? The Modern Language Journal, 94(1), 103-115. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4781.2009.00986.x.
de Mejía, A.-M. (2016). Bilingual education in Brazil: Recent developments and perspectives. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 19(6), 706-721. doi:10.1080/13670050.2016.1181682.
García, O., & Wei, L. (2014). Translanguaging: Language, bilingualism and education. Palgrave Macmillan. doi:10.1057/9781137385762.
Gardner-Chloros, P. (2014). Code-switching. The Cambridge Handbook of Linguistic Anthropology, 11(3), 205-233. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139342870.012.
Giles, H. (1973). Accent mobility: A model and some data. Anthropological Linguistics, 15(2), 87-105.
Giles, H., & Johnson, P. (1987). Ethnolinguistic identity theory: A social psychological approach to language maintenance. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 1987(68), 69-99. doi:10.1515/ijsl.1987.68.69
Honna, N. (2014). English as a multicultural language in Asia and intercultural literacy. Journal of English as a Lingua Franca, 3(2), 347-356. doi:10.1515/jelf-2014-0027.
Li, W. (2016). New Chinglish and the post-multilingualism challenge: Translanguaging ELF in China. Journal of English as a Lingua Franca, 5(1), 1-25. doi:10.1515/jelf-2016-0005.
Makoni, S., & Pennycook, A. (2012). Disinventing and reconstituting languages. Multilingual Matters. doi:10.21832/9781847698728.
Myers-Scotton, C. (2013). Multiple voices: An introduction to bilingualism. Wiley-Blackwell. doi:10.1002/9781118332380.
Omoniyi, T. (2013). Code-switching in Nigerian movies: Between entertainment and pragmatics. Pragmatics, 23(1), 151-173. doi:10.1075/prag.23.1.06omo.
Otheguy, R., García, O., & Reid, W. (2015). Clarifying translanguaging and deconstructing named languages: A perspective from linguistics. Applied Linguistics Review, 6(3), 281-307. doi:10.1515/applirev-2015-0014.
Palmer, D. K., & Martínez, R. A. (2013). Teacher agency in bilingual spaces: A fresh look at preparing teachers to educate young bilingual children. Review of Research in Education, 37(1), 269-297. doi:10.3102/0091732X12463556.
Pew Research Center. (2015). Hispanic Trends: Language Use Among Hispanics in the U.S. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2015/09/15/chapter-4-english-proficiency-and-language-use/
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33-47). Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Wei, L. (2013). Conceptual and methodological issues in bilingualism and multilingualism research. The Handbook of Bilingualism and Multilingualism, 2nd Edition, 26-51. doi:10.1002/9781118332380.
Yamaguchi, T. (2013). English in Japanese popular culture and J-pop music. World Englishes, 32(2), 157-170. doi:10.1111/weng.12016.
Zentella, A. C. (2014). Spanglish: The making of a new American language. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 18(1), 3-29. doi:10.1111/josl.12056.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Ruben Kipchoge
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
