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“I Can Speak German - Und Deutsch” the Development and Use of Code-Switching Among Simultaneous and Successive English-German Bilingual Children

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“I Can Speak German - Und Deutsch” the Development and Use of Code-Switching Among Simultaneous and Successive English-German Bilingual Children “I can speak German - und Deutsch” The Development and Use of Code-Switching among Simultaneous and Successive English-German Bilingual Children Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung der Doktorwürde der Philologischen Fakultät der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg i. Br. vorgelegt von Esther Albrecht, geb. Liebner aus Hannover WS 2003/2004 Erstgutachterin: Prof. Dr. Brigitte Halford Zweitgutachter: Prof. Dr. Bernd Kortmann Drittgutachter: Prof. Dr. Peter Auer Vorsitzende des Promotionsausschusses der Gemeinsamen Kommission der Philologischen, Philosophischen und Wirtschafts- und Verhaltenswissenschaftlichen Fakultät: Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Cheauré Datum der Fachprüfung im Promotionsfach: 09.07.2004 CONTENTS List of Figures vi List of Tables vii Acknowledgements ix O. INTRODUCTION 1 0.1 Introduction 1 0.2 Overview 3 1. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 6 1.1 Bilingual Language Acquisition 6 1.1.1 Bilingualism 6 1.1.1.1 Definition and research areas 6 1.1.1.2 Types 7 1.1.1.3 Degree 8 1.1.1.4 Factors influencing bilingualism 9 1.1.1.5 Bilingualism and Intelligence and Cognition 10 1.1.2 Becoming and Staying Bilingual 11 1.1.3 Language Acquisition 13 1.1.3.1 Bilingual First Language Acquisition 14 1.1.3.2 Successive Language Acquisition 15 1.1.3.3 One or Two Language Systems? 18 1.1.3.4 Language Input 21 1.2 Code-Switching 23 1.2.1 History to the Study of Code-Switching 24 1.2.2 Language Contact Phenomena 25 1.2.2.1 Code-Mixing and Code-Switching 25 1.2.2.2 Borrowing 27 1.2.2.3 Interference 28 1.2.3 Grammatical Aspects to the Study of Code-Switching 29 1.2.3.1 Constraints 30 1.2.3.2 The Matrix Language 33 1.2.3.3 Code-Switching Types 34 1.2.4 Neuro- and Psycholinguistic Aspects of Code-Switching 35 1.2.4.1 Lateralisation and Storing 35 1.2.4.2 Switching Mechanisms 37 1.2.4.3 Triggering 38 1.2.5 Sociolinguistic Aspects of Code-Switching 39 1.2.5.1 Code-Switchers 39 1.2.5.2 Attitudes towards Code-Switching 41 1.2.5.3 Language Choice 42 1.2.5.4 Reasons for Code-Switching 43 1.2.6 Pragmatic Aspects of Code-Switching 46 1.2.6.1 Functions of Code-Switching 46 1.2.6.2 Conversational Code-Alternation 50 1.2.7 Comprehensive Approaches to Code-Switching 52 1.3 Summary 53 iii 2. THE USE OF CODE-SWITCHING IN FORMER CASE-STUDIES 54 2.1 Previous Studies 54 2.1.1 Simultaneous Studies 54 2.1.1.1 Leopold (1939, 1947, 1949, 1949) 55 2.1.1.2 Volterra and Taeschner (1978), Taeschner (1983) 57 2.1.1.3 Saunders (1982-88) 58 2.1.1.4 Kielhöfer and Jonekeit (1993, first published 1983) 61 2.1.1.5 DUFDE 63 2.1.1.6 Führer-Nicod (1994) 65 2.1.1.7 Other studies 66 2.1.1.8 Summation of simultaneous studies 72 2.1.2 Successive Studies 74 2.1.2.1 Kenyeres (1938) 74 2.1.2.2 Fantini (1975, 1978) 75 2.1.2.3 Felix (1978) 76 2.1.2.4 Wenzel (2000) 77 2.1.2.5 Other studies 78 2.1.2.6 Summation of successive studies 80 2.1.3 Growing up in a Bilingual Community 81 2.1.3.1 Huerta (1977) 81 2.1.3.2 McClure and Wentz (1975) 81 2.2 Existing Theories 84 2.2.1 Acquisition sequence by McClure and Wentz 84 2.2.2 The DUFDE project 87 2.3 Summary 89 3. CASE-STUDY 91 3.1 Data Collection 91 3.1.1 Informants 91 3.1.2 Data Type 94 3.1.3 Questionnaires 95 3.2 Data Analysis 96 3.2.1 Transcriptions 96 3.2.2 Language Competence and Dominance 96 3.2.2.1 Mean Length of Utterance 97 3.2.2.2 Index of Productive Syntax 98 3.2.2.3 Other Methods of Assessing Language Competence and Dominance 99 3.2.3 Mixing and Switching 100 3.3 Limitations to the Analysis 102 3.3.1 Diversity among Informants 102 3.3.1.1 Similarities and Differences 102 3.3.1.2 Character Differences 103 3.3.2 Data Corpus 104 3.3.3 Method 104 3.4 Participants 105 3.4.1 Leah and Tessa 105 3.4.2 Fiona and Neeve 112 3.4.3 Hannes and Peter 118 3.4.4 Daniel and Faye 126 3.4.5 Paula and Lucy 134 3.4.6 Johannes and Jacob 144 iv 3.4.7 Lena and Kai 152 3.4.8 Jan 158 3.4.9 Anna 163 3.4.10 Lara 165 3.4.11 Lou 168 3.5 Summary 174 4. MIXING AND CODE-SWITCHING 175 4.1 Discussion of Results 175 4.1.1 Mixing in Bilingual Children 175 4.1.1.1 Discussion 175 4.1.1.2 Summary 184 4.1.2 Code-Switching in Bilingual Children 185 4.1.2.1 Code-Switching Functions 186 4.1.2.2 First Occurrence of Code-Switching Functions 188 4.1.2.3 Frequency of Code-Switching 191 4.1.2.4 Simultaneous and Successive Bilinguals 200 4.1.3 Summary 210 4.2 Evaluation of Different Code-Switching Acquisition Sequences 210 4.3 The acquisition of code-switching 216 5. Conclusion 218 Bibliography 225 Appendices 234 A. CHARTS 234 B. TABLES 241 C. GENERAL NOTES FOR THE TRANSCRIPTIONS 244 D. ABBREVIATIONS 245 E. BACKGROUND INFORMATION 246 F. CONSENT FORM 251 v FIGURES 2.1 Stylistic code-switching functions by McClure (1977) 86 2.2 Functions of code-switching for Ivar (Köppe/Meisel, 1995) 87 2.3 Functions of code-switching for Annika (Köppe/Meisel, 1995) 87 2.4 Code-switching functions and their first occurrence (DUFDE study) 88 4.1 Mixing rates in relation to age 179 4.2 Mixing rates in relation to age in dominant and non-dominant language settings 180 4.3 Code-switching functions and their usage range 190 4.4 Distribution of skill-related and stylistic code-switching functions 194 4.5 Distribution of individual skill-related and stylistic code-switching functions 194 4.6 Distribution of skill-related code-switching functions among simultaneous and successive speakers 206 4.7 Distribution of stylistic code-switching functions among simultaneous and successive speakers 208 Figure I MLU Faye 234 Figure II MLU Jacob 234 Figure III MLU Jan 235 Figure IV MLU Johannes 235 Figure V MLU Kai 235 Figure VI MLU Lara 236 Figure VII MLU Leah 236 Figure VIII MLU Lou 236 Figure IX MLU Lucy 237 Figure X MLU Neeve 237 Figure XI MLU Peter 237 Figure XII MLU Tessa 238 Figure XIII IPSyn Jacob 238 Figure XIV IPSyn Kai 238 Figure XV IPSyn Lara 239 Figure XVI IPSyn Leah 239 Figure XVII IPSyn Lucy 239 Figure XVIII IPSyn Peter 240 Figure XIX IPSyn Tessa 240 vi TABLES Table 2.1 Case-studies on simultaneous bilingual language acquisition 71-72 Table 2.2 Code-switching functions in studies on simultaneous bilingual children 73 Table 2.3 Case-studies on successive bilingual language acquisition 79-80 Table 2.4 Code-switching functions in studies on successive bilingual children 80 Table 3.1 Brown’s stages of language development, MLU range, age range 97 Table 3.2 Relation of age and MLU and IPSyn 98 Table 3.3 Similarities and differences in informants’ background 102 Table 3.4 Overview of recordings of Leah and Tessa 107 Table 3.5 Overview of recordings of Fiona and Neeve 114 Table 3.6 Overview of recordings of Hannes and Peter 121 Table 3.7 Overview of recordings of Daniel and Faye 128 Table 3.8 Overview of recordings of Paula and Lucy 136-137 Table 3.9 Overview of recordings of Johannes and Jacob 146 Table 3.10 Overview of recordings of Lena and Kai 154 Table 3.11 Overview of recordings of Jan 160 Table 3.12 Overview of recordings of Anna 164 Table 3.13 Overview of recordings of Lara 166 Table 3.14 Overview of recordings of Lou 170 Table 4.1 Average mixing rates in relation to time of L2 exposure 177 Table 4.2 Average mixing rates in relation to manner of L2 acquisition 178 Table 4.3 Relation of average mixing rates and age 179 Table 4.4 Relation of average mixing rates and age in dominant and non-dominant language settings 180 Table 4.5 Average mixing rates in relation to input conditions 182 Table 4.6 Average mixing rates in relation to sibling constellations 183 Table 4.7 First occurrence of skill-related functions of code-switching 189 Table 4.8 First occurrence of stylistic functions of code-switching 190 Table 4.9 Code-switching behaviour in relation to manner of L2 acquisition 196 Table 4.10 Relation of average code-switching percentages and age 196 Table 4.11 Code-switching behaviour in relation to input conditions 197 Table 4.12 Code-switching behaviour in relation to language dominance 197 Table 4.13 Code-switching behaviour in dominant and non-dominant language settings 198 Table 4.14 Code-switching behaviour depending on gender 199 Table 4.15 Code-switching behaviour depending on sibling constellations 199 Table 4.16 Code-switching of simultaneous and successive learners in dominant and non-dominant language settings 201 vii Table 4.17 Average first occurrence of situational code-switching functions for simultaneous and successive speakers 202 Table 4.18 Average first occurrence of skill-related code-switching functions for simultaneous and successive speakers 203 Table 4.19 Average first occurrence of stylistic code-switching functions for simultaneous and successive speakers 203 Table 4.20 Comparison of code-switching acquisition sequences of simultaneous and successive learners 204 Table 4.21 Code-switching in relation to first exposure to L2 205 Table 4.22 Code-switching behaviour among simultaneous and successive bilinguals 205 Table 4.23 Percentages of individual skill-related code-switching functions for simultaneous and successive language learners 206 Table 4.24 Percentages of individual stylistic code-switching functions for simultaneous and successive language learners 209 Table 4.25 Comparison of code-switching acquisition sequences of simultaneous learners 212 Table 4.26 Comparison of code-switching acquisition sequences of successive learners 213 Table I Overview Children’s Background 241 Table II Overview Recordings 242 Table III Mode of recordings 243 viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere thanks to everybody who contributed to this project.
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