English-Vietnamese Bilingual Code-Switching in Conversations: How and Why Thanh Phuong Nguyen
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RESEARCH ARTICLE English-Vietnamese Bilingual Code-Switching in Conversations: How And Why Thanh Phuong Nguyen Abstract The present study investigates the use of code-switching between Vietnamese and English in casual conversations and focuses on how and why conversational participants code-switch. The data include recordings of talk among a small Vietnamese-English bilingual female group and short interviews with the participants after the recordings. The paper will discuss how the bilinguals code-switched as a part of their communicative resources. I conclude with implications for ESL/EFL teaching. Introduction Code-switching⎯the alternating between two varieties within the same utterance (Ward- or more languages or dialects within a haugh, 2010) or during the same conversation conversation⎯has been an important field of (Myers, 1990; Wardhaugh, 2010). Code- research attracting the attention of numerous switching can be intra-sentential or inter- scholars. Code-switching is a natural sentential. In intra-sentential code-switching, phenomenon and a worth-noticing aspect of speakers alternate from one language to the bilingualism (Cheng & Butler, 1989). other one within a sentence, whereas in inter- Moreover, code-switching is employed sentential code-switching, conversational differently in different communities, which participants code-switch between sentences can be determined by socio-political factors (Myers, 1990; Wardhaugh, 2010). and attitudes found in the given community With respect to the linguistic mechanism (Myers-Scotton, 1998, p. 91). Therefore, of code-switching, different theories and studying about code-switching is necessary models have been proposed. Also in her and crucial in that it can help provide Markedness Model, Myers-Scotton (1990) information about bilinguals’ language talked about the matrix language frame model behaviors, identities, and attitudes in a speech in which the matrix language (defined as the community. This paper aims to explore the dominant language) is more active and more phenomenon of code-switching between frequently used and the embedded language Vietnamese and English among a group of (the weaker language) enters into the matrix female Vietnamese students in Hawaii in language. According to her, the matrix order to explore when, how, and why they language controls the form of the embedded employ code-switching in their speech. An language. Jacobson (2001) added one more analysis of this type of code-switching may type of code-switching strategy, language have useful implications for the teaching of alternation, where there is equal distribution English to Vietnamese students. between the two languages in a code- switching discourse. It is worth noticing that The Mechanism And Functions of Myers-Scotton’s syntactic analysis unit is “the Code-Switching projection of complementizer CP” while Jacobson’s (2001) unit of analysis is the The term code-switching is defined as the sentence. A CP is defined as “a syntactic unit alternate use of two or more linguistic ______________________ Nguyen, T. P. (2012). English-Vietnamese bilingual code-switching in conversations: How and why. Hawaii Pacific University TESOL Working Paper Series 10, 40-53. Website: http://www.hpu.edu headed by a Complementizer position” and encode their national identity and English to “generally has a finite verb” (Jacobson, 2001, signal their high education, the code-switch p. 63). from Swahili to English is unmarked (Myers- Regarding the grammar used in code- Scotton). In contrast, in a conversation among switching, Heredia and Brown (in press) five people in a Luyia-English bilingual asserted that the dominant language plays a business group where the more common code crucial role in code-switching. An example of is Luyia (their L1), a marked code-switch Spanish-English bilinguals was provided to occurs when the leader switched to the official illustrate in which context these bilinguals language English to reinforce his authority in code-switched more when communicating in the group and the second member also spoke Spanish (L1) than in English (L2 as the in English to show his agreement with the dominant language). Heredia and Brown leader (Myers- Scotton). In fact, according to claimed that after a certain degree of fluency Myers-Scotton, when a speaker chooses a and frequent use of L2 as the dominant code, he or she examines his/her potential language in their communication, the choices’ markedness, the determents of which bilinguals’ L2 was more readily accessible and are social forces in the workplace or in their more reliable for them. That is to say, when community, and decides either to follow or these bilinguals spoke Spanish, they tended to reject it. Therefore, marked code-switches are code-switch to the other language more than often conscious. when they spoke English. Myers-Scotton’s Markedness Model can There are different ideas about why peo- be complemented by Wardhaugh’s (2010) ple code-switch. Myers-Scotton (1998) distinction of situational versus metaphorical observed that many people still believe that code-switching. Situational code-switching is a “the main reason for code-switching is lack of kind of code-switching triggered by a change sufficient proficiency to go on in the language in the situation while metaphorical code- in which speakers began the conversation” (p. switching is motivated by a change in the 91). Along similar lines, Cheng and Butler topic, activity, interactional frame, and (1989) contended that code-switching was a interactional effects in the same situation. natural occurrence, and bilinguals were Speakers may code-switch to redefine the unaware of their code-switching. In fact, some situation: “formal to informal, official to authors believe that code-switching is a personal, serious to humorous, and politeness discourse mode, not a discourse strategy to to solidarity” (Wardhaugh, 2010, p. 102). To obtain communicative purposes during the give a clearer picture of these kinds of code- conversation (e.g., Parfenova, 2001). switching, Wardhaugh (2010) cited code- A large number of researchers, however, switching examples from Blom and Gumperz maintain that code-switching is a purposeful (1972). In a Ranamal- Bokmal bilingual action to achieve certain conversational goals. community where Ranamal is spoken as a Myers-Scotton (1990) explained the code- local dialect and Bokmal as one of the switching phenomenon with her Markedness standard varieties, when a teacher formally Model. She classified code-switching into lectures in Bokmal and then use Ramanal in unmarked code-switching and marked code- the following discussion, the term situational switching. Marked code-switching occurs code-switching applies. On the other hand, when a conversation participant alternated to metaphorical code-switching is considered to the unexpected code for a conversational occur when government officials and local purpose, and unmarked code-switching people transact in Bokmal and occasionally conforms to the expected code, often to use Ramanal for special effects. maintain a desired situation or meaning. For Cheng and Butler (1989) also stated that example, in a conversation among young code-switching served important social highly educated minority women who functions because there were pragmatic regularly use English and Swahili as ethnically meanings under the code-switches. In neutral languages with Swahili being used to agreement with the notion that code- 41 switching is a purposeful process, Ben-Rafael different from their usual distribution in a (2001) contended: Vietnamese linguistic environment due to Code-switching structures the con- their phonological and cultural features (Ho- versation through discursive markers; Dac, 2003). Specifically, the proportion of it signals ends of sequences, subordi- such tones as high rising pitch (sắc), mid pitch nate topics, or the boosting of new (ngang), and mid trailing pitch (huyền) was subjects. It allows reformulation and higher than that of the other tones at switch is a means of insistences. It also points (85.46 % and 14.54% of the total opens the way to instructions into a number of tones at switch points, respec- discussion and the interruption of its tively). This finding, in combination with the flow… Code-switching is often a perceptually phonological compatibilities form of subjective support. It may between the Vietnamese tones associated with convey personal assertions and feel- high and mid-level pitch and English ings and signify a turn toward the stressed/ unstressed syllables, as well as the speaker him/herself or toward the cultural association of high tones with clarity other. (p. 306) and emphasis, enabled Ho-Dac to make the Indeed, Li Wei (1998), using Cantonese- suggestion that “code switching is facilitated English data, demonstrated that code- by the Vietnamese tones associated with the switching can be utilized as a device to acquire pitch ranging from mid- to high-level pitch” social meanings. For example, in a conversa- (p. 104). In regard to code-switching from a tion among three English-Cantonese girls, A, particular Vietnamese addressing term to an B, and C, about buying a studying guide, C’s English personal pronoun, Ho-Dac stated accidental speech overlap to A (which also that speakers who do this kind of code- coincided with B’s overlap of A) contained a switching seem to wish to signal a change in code-switch to English, which contributed to his/her attitude towards the addressee. attracting A’s