SOCIOLINGUISTICS

Language Contact
Ahmet Mesut Ate

March 20, 2013
Applied Linguistics
Karadeniz Technical University
Before moving on
Monolingual
a person who speaks only one language
Bilingual
a person who can speak two languages
Multilingual
a person who can speak more than one language
Bilingualism
the process of a monolingual learning a second language
Polygot
a person who is capable of speaking and writing several
languages with a hight level of proficiency
Language Contact in "Sociolinguistics" by Ahmet Mesut Ate
When two languages are not enough
When bilinguals fail to communicate properly with their
interlocutors they can resort to one or more of the following
avenues:
1. Use a third language
2. Mix the two languages
3. Use different languages for different purposes

Thus we can suggest that bilingual problems between
interlocutors lead to:
Lingua Franca
Pidgin (Creole)
Code-switching
Language Contact in "Sociolinguistics" by Ahmet Mesut Ate
Outcomes of language contact
Lingua
Franca
Language Z
used for
communication
Pidgin
Language X and
Y are mixed
Code
Switching
Language X and
Y are used
successively
Language X
Meets
Language Y
Language Contact in "Sociolinguistics" by Ahmet Mesut Ate
1 Lingua Franca
Lingua Franca is a language used between two interlocutors but
is not the first language (or native tongue) of either of the
interlocutors.

Many Languages throughout the history served as lingua franca:
Chinese
French
Arabic
Turkish
English

We can conclude that mainly political and economical power
defines the Lingua Franca.
Language Contact in "Sociolinguistics" by Ahmet Mesut Ate
1.1 English as an International Language
English as a second language or foreign language?

Second Language: any additional language used in a country for
communicative purposes.
Foreign Language: any language learned after native (mother) tongue.

English is the second language in French Canada* but is a foreign
language in Turkey.

Many countries have multiple languages spoken and used officially; a
majority of these countries are conolized African and Latin countries
by French and British empires.

*Canada is officially bilingual under the Official Languages Act and the
Constitution of Canada that require the federal government to deliver services
in both official languages.
Language Contact in "Sociolinguistics" by Ahmet Mesut Ate
Expanding
circle
Outer circle
inner circle
Language Contact in "Sociolinguistics" by Ahmet Mesut Ate
1.1 English as an International Language
English is spoken by 2 billion user
either as a first, second language
or lingua franca.
The number of international
English speakers (also can be
referred as non-native English
speakers) has outnumbered the
native English speakers.
We can no more speak of an
English language but of Englishes.
1.1.1 Inner Circle Englishes
Inner circle countries are those where English is spoken
monolingually, where it is the first and only language of the
speakers.
British English
American English
Canadian English
Australian English
New Zealand English
Language Contact in "Sociolinguistics" by Ahmet Mesut Ate
1.1.2 Outer Circle Englishes
Outer circle countries are those using English as second
language. English is exported to these countries through
colonialism and later acquired the status of community
language.

The distinctive status of outer circle Englishes is the nativization process, that
is to say they have undergone their own independent development influenced
by local languages.

Indian English
Pakistani English
Ghanaian English
Singapor English
Language Contact in "Sociolinguistics" by Ahmet Mesut Ate
1.1.3 Expanding Circle Englishes
Expanding circle Englishes are those shaped under direct
influence of the dominant language. In these countries English
has the foreign language status.
Turkish English
Japanese English
Chinese English
German English
Egyptian English
French English
Italian English
Language Contact in "Sociolinguistics" by Ahmet Mesut Ate
2 Pidgin and Creole
Pidgin is a sociolinguistic phenomenon where two people whose first
languages are different attempt to communicate using elements from both of
their languages in a mixed manner. They:
Use words from both languages,
Mix morphology and syntax,
Use the simplest sounds from both languages.

Obtained language is called pidgin. Characteristics of pidgin language:
Limited vocabulary
Simple grammatical rules
Small inventory of sounds
Spoken by a small fraction of the community
Used for specific purposes such as trade, religion.

Language Contact in "Sociolinguistics" by Ahmet Mesut Ate
2 Pidgin and Creole
Some of pidgin languages are listed below:
Patois (Jamaican and English)
Basque-Icelandic pidgin (Basque, Germanic and Romance)
Barlachas (Gaelic Irish and English)
Hawaiian (Portuguese, Hawaiian, Cantonese, English, Spanish)
Nigerian (English and Nigeria Krio)*
Portuol (Spanish and Portugese)
Denglisch (Deutsch and English)
Siculish (Sicilian and English)

*Nigerian pidgin is used as lingua franca throughout Africa.


Language Contact in "Sociolinguistics" by Ahmet Mesut Ate
2 Pidgin and Creole
When a contact language is passed onto new generations in the same fashion
a mother tongue is acquired by children, pidgin is called creole.

A creole language, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of
parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that creoles have been
nativized by children as their primary language.

Pidgin Etymology
Assumed to be coming from a Chinese attempt to pronounce the English
word business during trades in the Far East.

Creole Etymology
An adaptation of the Castilian Spanish criollo ("homey, local yokel"), from
Portuguese crioulo, diminutive of cria ("person raised in ones house,
servant"), from Portuguese criar ("to rear, to bring up"), from Latin creo ("to
create").
Language Contact in "Sociolinguistics" by Ahmet Mesut Ate
3 Code-switching
Code switching is a well-known event in bilingual communities. It
refers to usage of two languages in a mixed manner, generally in oral
interaction. There are two types of code swtiching:

1. Inter-sentential (code-switching)
2. Intra sentential (code-mixing)

Some of the reasons for code switching:
Desire to reveal mixed identity or to show off
Inability to express an idea in one language
Inability to recall a word
Existence of lexical gap*
More effective communication
Wish to obtain a special effect.

*Lexical gap (lacuna) is the absence of a word in a particaular language.
Language Contact in "Sociolinguistics" by Ahmet Mesut Ate
3 Code-switching
Inter-sentential switching is to use sentences from two languages
following each other.

Intra sentential switching involves the use of a word or an axpression
from one language in a sentence whose structure belongs to another
language.

Mum! Your friend, Alev, geldi.
Anne benim books nerede?
Yazar narrative teknii ile dikkat ekti.
He entered the line for the Nianta dolmu.
Bana trouble vermek iin.Ben alaynca o da fun yapacak.
All right. Buyursun. Kitchendaym.
All stanbullular spend their weekend on Bosphorus.

Language Contact in "Sociolinguistics" by Ahmet Mesut Ate
3.1 Code-switching vs Pidgin
Pidgin Code-mixing
Phonological, morphological and lexical
integration is extensive and effective over
the sentence.
Grammatic or pronunciation features are
kept intact, shift is restricted to
vocabulary.
Language Contact in "Sociolinguistics" by Ahmet Mesut Ate