2013 Functions of code-switching in multilingual student community IN MULTILINGUAL STUDENT COMMUNITY STUDENT IN MULTILINGUAL UNIVERSIDADE DO ALGARVE DO UNIVERSIDADE FUNCTIONS OF CODE-SWITCHING OFCODE-SWITCHING FUNCTIONS Prof. Doutor Manuel CêlioProf. DoutorConceição Manuel Trabalho efetuado sob orienta efetuado sob Trabalho Mestrado emMestrado Irina Prelovskaia Dissertação Ciências Linguagem da 2013 ção de:ção UNIVERSIDADE DO ALGARVE FUNCTIONS OF CODE-SWITCHING IN MULTILINGUAL STUDENT COMMUNITY Irina Prelovskaia Dissertação Mestrado em Ciências da Linguagem Trabalho efetuado sob orientação de: Prof. Doutor Manuel Cêlio Conceição 2013 2 3 Abstract The aim of the present study is to identify the functions of code-switching in multilingual communication occurring between international exchange university students. Particularly, this study will consider the use of code-switching between English, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian in so-called “temporary language community” of international students within formal and informal settings. In order to achieve this goal, we carried out the investigation which consisted of two stages: applying questionnaire and recording interviews and group discussions. Firstly, we designed and applied an online questionnaire aimed at getting the basic biographical information of participants, overall attitude of exchange students to code-switching, their personal experience and linguistic background. The total of 62 persons answered the questionnaire (completely and partially). Afterwards, we analyzed the results of questionnaire with the help of the Qualtrics online software. As the questionnaire data showed, students more often switch to other languages consciously, to achieve a certain stylistic or pragmatic effect. At the same time, being very tired, anxious or stressed, the students do not realize that they include in their speech units of another language, thus doing it unconsciously. Secondly, we tape-recorded interviews and group discussions with some exchange students who participated in the questionnaire. The instances of code-switching observed in interviews and discussions were analyzed within the Myers-Scotton's Markedness model (1993), thus examples of marked, unmarked and sequential unmarked code-switching were identified. Besides, such specific functions of code-switching were identified: clarification, social/expressing solidarity, topic-related switching, expressing humor/irony, quotation were identified mainly as marked code-switching explained by conscious choice, while lack of lexical item, saving speech and effort and expressing emotions were identified as unmarked thus unconscious code-choice followed by a speaker in a conversation. It was also identified that exchange students mostly code-switch to save time and speech efforts and for topic-related switching. In addition to that, English and Portuguese turned out to be the most frequently used languages for switching in a daily communication of international university students. 4 Resumo O objetivo principal deste estudo é identificar as funções de code-switching em comunicação multilingue, ocorrendo entre os estudantes universitários internacionais. Particularmente, este estudo irá considerar o uso de code-switching entre Inglês, Português, Espanhol e Russo na "comunidade linguística temporária" de estudantes internacionais em contextos formais e informais. Para atingir este objetivo, foi realizada uma investigação em duas etapas: aplicação de questionário e gravação de entrevistas e discussões em grupo. Em primeiro lugar, um questionário on-line foi projetado e aplicado com fins de obter as informações biográficas básicas dos participantes, a atitude geral de estudantes em mobilidade em relação ao code-switching, a sua experiência pessoal e a sua biografia linguística. O total de 62 pessoas responderam ao questionário (total ou parcialmente). Posteriormente, foram analisados os resultados do questionário, com a ajuda do programa Qualtrics. Como os dados do questionário mostraram, os alunos mais frequentemente mudaram para outras línguas, conscientemente, para conseguir um certo efeito estilístico ou pragmático. Entretanto, quando estão muito cansados, ansiosos ou estressados, os alunos usam mudam de código inconsientemente. Em segundo lugar, entrevistas e discussões em grupo foram gravadas com alguns estudantes que responderam ao questionário. Os exemplos de code-switching observados em entrevistas e discussões foram analisados de acordo com modelo Markedness do Myers-Scotton (1993), portanto, exemplos de code-switching marcado, desmarcado e sequencial desmarcado foram identificados. Além disso, as funções específicas do code- switching foram identificadas: clarificação, social / expressão de solidariedade, a mudança conforme tópico relacionado, expressão de humor / ironia e citação relacionados a code- switching marcado, explicados pela escolha consciente, enquanto a falta de unidade lexical, economia de tempo e esforço de fala bem como expressão de emoções foram identificados como não marcado, ou seja, de escolha inconsciente. Os resultados da análise também mostraram que os respondentes usam code-switching para economizar tempo e esforços da fala e para mudança de tópico. Além disso, Inglês e Português acabaram por ser as línguas mais utilizadas para code-switching numa comunicação diária dos estudantes universitários internacionais. 5 Acknowledgments. I would like to show my gratitude to Erasmus Mundus TRIPLE I project for giving me a possibility to participate in this Master program. In particular, I would like to thank all the people who were involved in organization of this program: University of Turku and, of course University of Algarve, and also mobility office, professors and administration staff. I would also like to thank genuinely my supervisor Professor Dr. Manuel Cêlio Conceição for his invaluable help and guidance throughout this process, and for supporting my ideas about the work. In addition, I would like to thank all the focus group participants, who answered questionnaire and participated in interviews and discussions, without them this thesis would not be possible. Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude to my family and friends, who were supporting me during all this long journey. I would not have gone that far without their love and support. 6 CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...........................................................................................................6 CONTENTS...................................................................................................................................7 LIST OF TABLES..........................................................................................................................9 LIST OF FIGURES..................................................................................................................... ..9 CHAPTER ONE. Introduction.................................................................................................10 CHAPTER TWO. Theoretical background of code-switching..............................................13 2.1. Language choice...................................................................................................................13 2.2. Code-switching: defining the term........................................................................................16 2.2.1. Code-switching vs borrowing.............................................................................................20 2.2.2. Spanglish or Portuñol?........................................................................................................22 2.3. The pragmatics of code-switching.........................................................................................23 2.3.1. CS as a contextualization cue.............................................................................................23 2.3.2. Situational and metaphorical code-switching....................................................................25 2.4. Previous studies on pragmatic functions of code-switching.................................................28 2.5. Myers-Scotton´s Markedness model (1993).........................................................................32 2.5.1. Social motivations for speaker’s code-switching...............................................................33 2.5.2. Rights and obligations set...................................................................................................33 2.5.3. The markedness of code-switching....................................................................................34 2.5.4. Types of code-switching.....................................................................................................35 2.5.4.1. Code-switching as an unmarked choice..........................................................................35 2.5.4.2. Code-switching as a sequence of unmarked choices......................................................36 2.5.4.3. Code-switching as a marked code-choice.......................................................................37 2.5.4.4. Code-switching as an exploratory code-choice...............................................................38 2.6. Synthesis................................................................................................................................39 7 CHAPTER THREE. Methodology of the study: questionnaire and interaction data.........41 3.1. Questionnaire data: collection and analysis........................................................................41