Language choice in

multilingual communities

D r . P h u o n g N g u y e n
2.1.1. Choosing your variety or code

2.1.2. Diglossia

2.1.3. Code- switching or code- mixing and

translanguaging
 2.1.1. Choosing your variety or code

• What is your linguistic repertoire?

• linguistic repertoire: The range of codes or
varieties available in a community from which an
individual selects according to the social context.
• lingua franca: A language serving as a means of
communication between speakers whose first
languages differ
 2.1.1. Choosing your variety or code

• Draw your language portrait

• Use different color for
different languages that you
speak
 2.1.1. Choosing your variety or code
• Domains of language use
• A domain involves typical interactions between
typical participants in typical settings.
 2.1.1. Choosing your variety or code
• Modelling variety or code choice
• Domain draws on three important social factors in
code choice – participants, setting and topic.
• Model
• summarizes what we know about the patterns of
language use in the community
• A description of the community’s norms which can be
altered or added
• provides a clear basis for comparing patterns of code
choice in different speech communities.
• Other social factors affecting code choice
• Makes it easier to discuss a particular topic, regardless
of where they are speaking
• associated with one domain is leaking into another.
 2.1.2 Diglossia
2.1.2.1 A linguistic division of labor
• In the narrow and original sense
• 1. Two distinct varieties of the same language
are used in the community, with one regarded as
a high (or H) variety and the other a low (or L)
variety.
• 2. Each variety is used for quite distinct
functions; H and L complement each other.
• 3. No- one uses the H variety in everyday
conversation.
 2.1.2.2 Attitudes to H vs. L in a diglossia situation
H variety L variety
Function: One variety is used in a context formal settings and for formal/ informal contexts and for casual conversations
where the other cannot be used. academic purposes
Prestige: the social value given to each variety superior, logical, beautiful less prestigious and is seen in a lower status
compared to the standard language

Literary heritage: the amount of written language of art and poetry only restricted to folk literature
material in both varieties
Acquisition: the process of language learning learned by means of formal education acquired as a mother tongue from childhood
by children in early ages
Standardization: established norms for standardized in terms of grammar, characterized by a wide variation in
language use style, vocabulary pronunciation and vocabulary
Stability: the persistence of the varieties over more stable might disappear, L shows a lot of borrowings
time from the H variety and is varied in morphology,

Morphology more complicated

2.1.2.3 Diglossia with and without
bilingualism

Diglossia Bilingualism

The use of 2 varieties of the same language in a The ability to speak 2 languages
speech community

Has 2 varieties of the same language: H and L Has 2 different languages

Languages are used according to domains Languages are used according to the nature of
the speech community

Used to talk within the same speech community Not only in the same society but also in other
different speech societies

Experienced by a speech community Experienced by 1 individual

 2.1.2.3 Diglossia with and without
bilingualism
• Relationship between diglossia and
bilingualism

Restrict the terms diglossia and bilingualism to refer to different

languages
 2.1.2.3 Diglossia with and without
bilingualism
• Both diglossia and
bilingualism
• Canada
• 2 official languages: English and
French
• Different varieties H and L in
speaking and writing
 2.1.2.3 Diglossia with and without
bilingualism
• Bilingualism without diglossia

• England/ New Zealand/ Australia

• Bilingualism: English and mother-
tongue language
• Not the whole community has the
same mother tongue language
 2.1.2.3 Diglossia with and without
bilingualism
• Diglossia without bilingualism
• For example: Before WWI
• the elite speak one language and
the lower classes use another -
European elites spoke a high variety
that was not linguistically related to
the low variety of the peasants.
• Neither group was usually bilingual.
 2.1.2.3 Diglossia with and without
bilingualism
• Neither diglossia nor
bilingualism
• Isolated ethnic communities
where there is little contact
with other linguistic groups.

What could threaten this type of situation?

2.1.2.3
Diglossia
with and
without
bilingualism
This is a clearly diglossic situation,
should we consider it as a bilingual
situation
2.1.2.4 Extending the scope of diglossia

• In the narrow and original sense

• 1. Two distinct varieties of the same language are used in
the community, with one regarded as a high (or H) variety
and the other a low (or L) variety.
• 2. Each variety is used for quite distinct functions; H and L
complement each other.
• 3. No- one uses the H variety in everyday conversation.

• Extended by only consider

• recognizing that two codes are used in different situations
• Polyglossia – when having more than 2 codes
2.1.2.5 Changes in a diglossia situation

Stable situation - two varieties to continue to exist

side by side

One variety may gradually Latin in Europe lost its H

displace the other position
2.1.2.5 Changes in a diglossia situation
2.1.3 Code- switching or code- mixing and translanguaging

2.1.3.1 Participants, solidarity and status

• Situational code- switching

• change in the social situation, and takes positive
account of the presence of a new participant.
• Emblematic codeswitching / tag switching
• an ethnic identity marker
• Often very short
• Positive - express a move along the solidarity/ social
distance dimension
• Negative - distance a speaker from those they are
talking to
2.1.3.2 Switching for affective functions
used to express affective rather than referential meaning
 2.1.3.3
Metaphorical switching
• Each of the codes symbolizes a set
of social meanings, and the
speaker draws on the associations
of each
• involves rhetorical skill.
• Skillful code-switching operates
like metaphor to enrich
communication
 2.1.3.3 Metaphorical code-
mixing
• (i) occur because of incompetence,
because of indiscriminate, random
use of one or the other code.
• (ii) The switchings are well-
motivated, reflecting skill on the
part of the bilingual speaker
• a distinctive conversational style:
fused lect- a mixed language in
terms of semantics and pragmatics,
allow less variation since they are
fully grammaticalized.
2.1.3.4 Lexical
borrowing
• triggered by lack of
vocabulary
• speakers have a genuine
choice about which words or
phrases they will use in which
language.
2.1.3.5 Linguistic constraints

• Intra- sentential code- switching: Changing

codes between sentences - at points where
the grammars of both languages match each
other - equivalence constraint
• Inter- sentential code- switching: Changing
codes within sentences.
 • Matrix language frame (MLF)
2.1.3.5 Linguistic • imposes structural constraints on
code- switched utterances
constraints • Provides the structure of the
sentence, the content words will
be from the other language.
Not believe
• greater attention to social, stylistic
and contextual factors
• vary according to different factors,
such as which codes, the functions
of the particular switch and the
level of proficiency in each code of
the people switching.

Forming new mixed language

 2.1.3.6 Attitudes to code-
switching
• often unaware
• many tend to apologize for it,
condemn it, and generally indicate
disapproval of mixing languages
• multilingualism is the norm,
attitudes to proficient code-
switching are much more positive
compared to monolingual groups
2.1.3.7 Translanguaging
• Semiotic resources - signs, pictures and written symbols
• Paralinguistic resources - pitch, volume, speech rate, facial
expressions, and gestures
Class Discussion 2

1 2 3 4
Find one example of Submit 2 screenshots of
Go to your class Finish your
code-switching/ your posts in the
Padlet language portrait translanguaging which Discussion 2 Assignment
Share your are publicly available on on TEAMS
• 12:00 -15:00 language portrait social media and and
with explanation share it
• 15:10-17:40
Homework

Complete Class
Read Chapter 3
Discussion 2
THANK YOU