Languages in Contact: Multilingual Societies and Multilingual Discourse

Introduction

Due to political boundaries, people speaking languages may feel identified with each other or divided


The movement of language can be perceived due to immigration, colonization, or conquest. This situation may cause language shift (speaking the dominant language) or language maintenance (both languages are spoken)


Ethnolinguistic vitality: language can be maintained due to: 1. economical, social, and historical status, 2. territorial distribution, and 3. institutional support.

Multilingualism as a Societal Phonomenon

In some parts of the world, multilingualism is experienced by the population. However, it does not always resembles positive aspects

  1. Competencies and convergence in multilingual societies: When speaking more than one language, people may face linguistic consequences, as diffusion of features from one language to another.
  1. Language ideologies surrounding multilingualism: Ideologies regarding the multilingualism varies from place to place; that is, for some people, it may resemble a sense of inferiority. In terms of research, code switching is avoided, so multilingual discourse is being used.
  1. Linguistic Landscapes: It is defined as the display of language in public spaces, like graffiti. In some places, like Germany, English is used to name businesses with the aim of creating a modern and globalized image.
  1. Language attitudes in multilingual settings: The code a speaker uses reflects how people view him. He could be perceived as less favorably, for example. Conversely, other people believe that having a monoglossic ideology is better since languages should be kept separate. In contrast, the ones who share the pluralist ideology think that being multilingual is valuable.

Diglossia

One code is used in one circumstance and the other in a different setting. There is phenomenon in which there is a high variety (H) and a low variety of the language (L).

  1. Domains: Varieties are separated and both are used in different circumstances or domains. For instance, a person may lecture in H variety, but give examples or answer questions in a L variety. Furthermore, it can be perceived that the L variety borrow words from the H variety.
  1. Language attitudes and Ideologies: The H variety is considered more beautiful, logical, and superior than the L variety.
  1. Language Learning: L variety is learned at home whereas H variety is taught. Teaching it requires dictionaries, standardized texts, among others to teach it effectively.
  1. The status of the H and L varieties: Diglossia reinforces social distinction among people who speak an inferior variant (L) and a superior variant (H).
  1. Extended diglossia and language maintenance: Different languages have different functions; one is used for one circumstance and the other for another, and doing this is proper
  1. Questioning diglossia: It has been said that stable bilingualism is possible only with diglossia.

Multilingual Discourse

A code is chosen by people depending on the circumstances. There is some research in which code switching constraints is studied since some speakers may combine languages.

  1. Metaphorical and situational code switching: There are three main concepts: Situational code-switching: speakers speak one language in one environment, and other in another environment. This situation differs from diglossia since diglossia reinforces differences among groups. Finally, metaphorical code-switching is defined as the symbolic meaning the choice of the code carries
  1. Accommodation and audience design: It explains how people try to induce another person or people by reducing differences between them. It involves convergence (shifting behaviour to become more alike) or disvergence (shifting behaviour to become distant). The action of accommodation and switch revels that people understand the prestige norms.
  1. The Markedness Model: It explains the reason why there is an alteration between two languages in spoken conversation. That is, a code is expected in a particular situation. The marked-unmarked distinction is independent from the H-L variants or standard-nonstandard dialect.
  1. Multilingual Identities: Identities are not fixed, for example, being a father does not mean that he is funny. Language, indeed, helps to construct our identities.