Attitudes towards code-switching among adult mono- and multilingual language users

The present study investigates inter-individual variation (linked to personality traits, multilingualism and sociobiographical variables) in attitudes towards code-switching (CS) among 2070 multilinguals. Data were collected through an on-line questionnaire. We found that high levels of Tolerance of Ambiguity and Cognitive Empathy, and low levels of Neuroticism are linked with significantly more positive attitudes towards CS. Knowing many languages had a marginally positive effect. A more fine-grained analysis revealed that participants with mid-range global proficiency values were less positive towards CS than those at the lower and higher end of the scale. Participants who grew up in a bilingual family and in an ethnically diverse environment, and currently worked in an ethnically diverse environment had significantly more positive attitudes towards CS. Female participants and those with the lowest and highest levels of education appreciated CS most, and participants in their teens and twenties appreciated CS less than older participants. The findings thus show that the attitudes towards CS are linked to personality, language learning history and current linguistic practices, as well as some sociobiographical variables

Assumptions behind grammatical approaches to code-switching: when the blueprint is a red herring

Many of the so-called ‘grammars’ of code-switching are based on various underlying assumptions, e.g. that informal speech can be adequately or appropriately described in terms of ‘‘grammar’’; that deep, rather than surface, structures are involved in code-switching; that one ‘language’ is the ‘base’ or ‘matrix’; and that constraints derived from existing data are universal and predictive. We question these assumptions on several grounds. First, ‘grammar’ is arguably distinct from the processes driving speech production. Second, the role of grammar is mediated by the variable, poly-idiolectal repertoires of bilingual speakers. Third, in many instances of CS the notion of a ‘base’ system is either irrelevant, or fails to explain the facts. Fourth, sociolinguistic factors frequently override ‘grammatical’ factors, as evidence from the same language pairs in different settings has shown. No principles proposed to date account for all the facts, and it seems unlikely that ‘grammar’, as conventionally conceived, can provide definitive answers. We conclude that rather than seeking universal, predictive grammatical rules, research on CS should focus on the variability of bilingual grammars

Attitudinal aspects of Arabic-French billingualism in Morocco.

This study is concerned with the Moroccan bilingual's attitudes towards Arabic and French and the kinds of role each of these languages plays in Moroccan society. Chapter One describes the language situation before and after Independence. Chapter Two examines previous approaches to the study of bilingualism, and contrasts Arabic-French bilingualism with other types of bilingualism. In Chapter Three we discuss the kinds of attitude towards French, Moroccan Arabic and Classical Arabic which bilinguals express in response to direct questioning. We also look at the possibility that the bilingual's outlook and cultural values vary according to which language he uses. Chapter Four discusses the bilingual's choice of language in various types of situation, isolating the contribution made by such factors'as the type of interlocutor, topic and setting. It also examines his preferences for one language or the other in certain receptive contexts. Chapter Five deals with the phenomenon of code-switching, whereby the bilingual uses a mixture of the two languages. Samples of speech are examined to determine whether code-switching is governed by structural constraints, and to discover the factors which provoke a switch. Bilinguals' attitudes to code-switching are also discussed. In Chapter Six we demonstrate by means of matched guise tests that a bilingual's personality may be perceived quite differently by other bilinguals depending on what language he is speaking. Finally, Chapter Seven examines language planning in Morocco and discusses the difficulties facing arabisation. Bilinguals' feelings towards the present and future situation are discussed, and some tentative proposals for future development are made

Attitudinal aspects of Arabic-French billingualism in Morocco.

This study is concerned with the Moroccan bilingual's attitudes towards Arabic and French and the kinds of role each of these languages plays in Moroccan society. Chapter One describes the language situation before and after Independence. Chapter Two examines previous approaches to the study of bilingualism, and contrasts Arabic-French bilingualism with other types of bilingualism. In Chapter Three we discuss the kinds of attitude towards French, Moroccan Arabic and Classical Arabic which bilinguals express in response to direct questioning. We also look at the possibility that the bilingual's outlook and cultural values vary according to which language he uses. Chapter Four discusses the bilingual's choice of language in various types of situation, isolating the contribution made by such factors'as the type of interlocutor, topic and setting. It also examines his preferences for one language or the other in certain receptive contexts. Chapter Five deals with the phenomenon of code-switching, whereby the bilingual uses a mixture of the two languages. Samples of speech are examined to determine whether code-switching is governed by structural constraints, and to discover the factors which provoke a switch. Bilinguals' attitudes to code-switching are also discussed. In Chapter Six we demonstrate by means of matched guise tests that a bilingual's personality may be perceived quite differently by other bilinguals depending on what language he is speaking. Finally, Chapter Seven examines language planning in Morocco and discusses the difficulties facing arabisation. Bilinguals' feelings towards the present and future situation are discussed, and some tentative proposals for future development are made

Language attitudes among Arabic-French bilinguals in Morocco

SIGLELD:5983.145(4) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo