LING 587: Codeswitching: Form and Function
Fall 2002
1038 FLB, 4-6.50 p.m.
Instructor: Rakesh Bhatt
Office: 4109 FLB
Phone: 333-7017, 333-3563
e-mail: rbhatt@uiuc.edu
Office hours: T, Th: 3-4.30
COURSE DESCRIPTION
“Bilingualism is for me the fundamental problem of linguistics” (Jacobson 1953)
Codeswitching, the alternate use of two linguistic systems within a same clause, is a commonplace occurrence in societally multilingual contexts. It involves having potentially several (at least two) grammars and lexicons participate at the same time, ‘with great ease and complete fluidity’, within a stretch of discourse. The aim of this course is to present a general account of this complex sociolinguistic phenomenon. The studies discussed during the course will provide an understanding of language interaction as a result of language contact, yielding a comprehensive perspective on central aspects of the bilingual language capacity. Using both formal (structural-linguistic) and functional (social-pragmatic) models of language analysis, we will attempt to answer two central questions raised in the literature on code-switching: (i) how does a bilingual speaker combine linguistic elements from two (or more) languages (what/where switch)? and (ii) what does (i) accomplish for her/him (why switch)?
COURSE EVALUATION
Class Presentation: 30%
Research Paper: 70%
COURSE TEXT:
Required: Papers available in Room 4100, FLB.
Recommended:
(i) Musken, P. 2000. Bilingual Speech. Cambridge.
(ii) Milroy, L. & P. Musken (eds.) 1995. One Speaker, Two Languages. Cambridge.
(iii) Myers-Scotton, C. 1993a. Duelling Languages. Oxford.
(iv) Myers-Scotton, C. 1993b. Social Motivations for Codeswitching. Oxford.
(v) Heller, M. (ed.) 1988. Code-switching: Anthropological and Sociolinguistic Perspective. Mouton de Gruyter.
COURSE SCHEDULE
September 4. Introduction: Scope of this course
September 11. Structural Constraints: Earlier Attempts
Pfaff 1979: “Constraints in language mixing: intrasentential code-switching …”
Poplack 1980: Sometimes I’ll start a sentence in Spanish y termino en español”
Sridhar & Sridhar 1980: “The syntax and psycholinguistics of bilingual code mixing.”
September 18. Towards a Formal Grammar
*Woolford 1983: “Bilingual code-switching and syntactic theory.”
*DiSciullo, Muysken, and Singh 1986: “Government and code-mixing.”
*Halmari 1994: “Structural relations and Finnish-English code-switching.”
September 25. The System-Content Distinction
*Joshi 1985: “Processing of sentences with intrasentential code-switching.”
*Azuma 1993: The frame-content hypothesis in speech production …”
October 2. The Matrix Language Frame Model
*Myers-Scotton and Jake 1995: “Matching lemmas in bilingual language competence…”
*Myers-Scotton and Jake 2000: “Explaining aspects of codeswitching …”
October 9. Codeswitching in Principles & Parameters Model
*Belazi, Rubin, and Toribio 1994: “Codeswitching and X’-theory …”
MacSwan 2000: “The architecture of the bilingual language faculty …”
Jake, Myers-Scotton and Gross 2002: “Making a minimalist approach …”
October 16. Critiques and Comments
*Clyne 1987: “Constraints on code-switching: How universal are they?”
*Bokamba 1989: “Are there syntactic constraints on code-mixing?”
*Bhatt 1997a: “Code-mixing and the Functional Head Constraint.”
October 23. Optimality and Codeswitching
*Bhatt 1997b: “Code-switching, constraints, and optimal grammars.”
*Bhatt 2002: “Argument licensing in optimal switches.”
October 30. What is Social about Codeswitching?
Blom and Gumperz 1972: “Social meaning in Structure: Codeswitching in Norway.”
Myers-Scotton 1993b: Chapters 4 and 5: Markedness theory
November 6. Rationality and Codeswitching
*Myers-Scotton 2000: “Explaining the role of norms and rationality in codeswitching”
*Gross 2000: “Intentionality and markedness model in literary codeswitching”
November 13. Pragmatics and Codeswitching
*Auer 1995: “The pragmatics of codeswitching…”
*Wei, Milroy, and Ching 1992: “A two-step sociolinguistic analysis of code-switching”
November 20. Identity Politics and Codeswitching
*Heller, M. 1988: “Strategic ambiguity: Codeswitching in the management of conflict.”
*Blommaert 1992: “Codeswitching and the exclusivity of social identities.”
FALL BREAK FALL BREAK FALL BREAK FALL BREAK
December 4. Political Economy and Codeswitching
*Gal, S. 1988. “The political economy of code choice.”
*Gal, S. 1987: “Codeswitching and consciousness in the European periphery.”
*Canagarajah 1995: “The political economy of code choice in a revolutionary society…”
December 11. Symbolic domination and Codeswitching
*Heller 1992: “The politics of codeswitching and language choice.”
*Heller, M. 1995: “Language choice, social institutions, and symbolic domination
* indicates student presentation
RESEARCH PAPER DUE: DECEMBER 16
STRUCTURE of the RESEARCH PAPER
Abstract
• 100-200 words
• Should contain elements from all 4 sections of report:
1: 2-3 sentences on the importance of study followed by succinct statement of
study’s chief purpose (no references).
2: Brief statement of methods: e.g., # of Ss and cursory definition of variables.
3: Putative results presented as they relate to primary objective of study. (no
numbers)
4: Conclusions of study: What is the primary contribution of study?
Introduction
• Briefly describe general problem area, why this study is important.
Literature Review
• Needs to communicate the purpose of the study and why this is important
• Needs to motivate variables of study, if any.
• Demonstrates what other researchers have found on the topic (history on topic)
• Outlines theoretical framework, if necessary, and discusses how it generates specific hypotheses on your focus.
• Needs to stay focused, relevant to study
• Ends with specific statement on purpose of study or hypotheses. Must be a logical endpoint (or next step) for entire lit review to that point.
Methods
• To describe your data collection procedures as clearly as possible, stating HOW the study will be carried out.
• To convince readers that study is valid and results reliable, to allow others to replicate, thus making your claims (argument) stronger.
1: Subjects: who, when, why, etc. (show how subjects-related variables were manipulated)
2: Items/instruments: target constructions (show how items-related variables were manipulated)
3: Procedures: what researcher(s) did, what subjects did, how groups were assigned, how, when, and on what subjects were measured.
Results and Discussion
• Need to summarize your findings (support of your hypotheses or not) and then interpret them in terms of the theoretical framework used—what the results are and what do they mean.
Conclusions and Implications
• Summarize the main arguments (hypotheses, results, and discussion) and discuss what theoretical, methodological and empirical implications the study has for our understanding of the interaction of language and society.