Code-Switching as an Act of Identity within Multilingual Societies
I would like a 1000 word literature review discussing the extent to which code-switching is used as an act of identity within multilingual societies.
Whereas Giles' (1979) Framework discusses code-switching used to create a persona, create linguistic convergence, and allow for linguistic divergence, I would like to also comment on the following articles:
1) Chapter 20: Crossing, Ethnicity and Code-Switching by Rampton, B.
2) Chapter 18: Code-switching by Li Wei
3) In the Contact Zone: Code-Switching Strategies by Latino/a Writers by Torres, L.
4) Flipping the Switch: Code-Switching from Text Speak to Standard English by Turner, K.
I like the contrast between Torres and Turner as Torresdiscussed identity within a multilingual context, whereas Turner comments on Text Speak as another multilingual entity, thus bringing another dimension to code-switching.
For the critical review, I would like to comment on what each author brings to the topic of code-switching and discuss both the strengths and weaknesses of their work. For example, whilst Turner's article published in 2009 discusses contemporary methods of communication as opposed to just written and oral, there may be space for further research as technology and society have evolved, normalising text speech, within both social and professional contexts.
I would also like to state whether there are any questions left unanswered by the literature.
I would like to organise the review into these sections;
1) Introduction
This explains the background of my title question and also the answer. For example, whilst Turner comments on code-switching as ..., Torres distinguishes it as ...
2) Trends and similarities within the literature
This includes summarising the literature concisely and discussing why the research is interesting and important within the topic.
A brief assessment of each authors contributions and strengths and weaknesses.
3) An evaluation of the trends within the literature and what the next direction would be for research
This would suggest a topic for further research, for example, code-switching within both multilingual societies within the text speech
4) Conclusion
Summarising my opinion, explicitly addressing the research question and giving an answer to it with a line of reasoning. For example, I agree with Torres' finding of code-switching from a standard language to be just as powerful as code-switching between languages.
TO WHAT EXTENT IS CODE-SWITCHING USED AS AN ACT OF IDENTITY WITHIN MULTILINGUAL SOCIETIES
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Code-Switching
Code-switching is a common occurrence that practically everyone engages in regularly, whether on intention or not. Code-switching is a linguistic technique in which a person alternates between two languages to fit into a discussion or make the other party comprehend. It’s a common habit among immigrant families; for example, when a Mexican family relocates to the United States, they will first speak Spanish in their house. However, when children go to school, they will acquire English as a second language and will almost certainly speak English with their peers. When speaking with their parents or siblings, the youngsters may transition between Spanish and English. In a single context, and often even within a single statement, people change their language. Code-switching is unpredictably unexpected; the speaker flips between languages without warning. For instance, a person could begin a phrase in English and then finish it in their original tongue. In the same statement, they would add the foreign language to the English Language. That sort of phrase will make little sense to someone who only speaks one language, although it is common for multilingual people to blend two languages. Various authors have given various comments on code-switching. For instance, Turner (2009) states that code-switching may aid in clarifying the English language for greater understanding and that the learner would become proficient in the language as a result. Torres (2007) contends that including Spanish in an English-language work legitimizes the much-maligned practice of mixing codes in spoken language.
Trends and Similarities within the Literature
Wei (2013) suggests that individual languages’ sociopolitical and structural identities are only meaningful when consciously manipulating them. Translanguaging also characterizes language as a multisensory and multilingual resource for producing sense and meaning. It attempts to break down barriers between named languages, those between linguistic, paralinguistic, and non-linguistic modes of communication, and those between language and other human cognitive processes. In the traditional sense of speech and writing, language is just one of many meaning- and sense-making resources individuals employ in their daily lives (Wei, 2013, pp. 26-53). He also claims that a Code-Switching analysis would most likely only go so far as to identify the two Chinese characters at the top mean “today,” the Japanese character underneath them as the possessive marker, and the two Chinese characters at the center mean “fruit.” In reality, it may exclude the sections depicted by a painting as well as the colors. The article’s strength is that the analytic approach is extended to reveal code-switching and language mixing behaviors at the interactional level, which are also linked to inter-generational changes in personal network structure. On the other hand, Li Wei’s research was limited to some nations; hence it cannot be applied worldwide.
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