1887
Volume 19, Issue 2
  • ISSN 1571-0718
  • E-ISSN: 1571-0726
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine language choice, language alternation and code-switching practices in Instant Messaging (IM). Specifically, this article presents the results from an analysis of the written conversations of a specific community formed by Valencian adults fluent in English. Taking a computer-mediated, discourse-centred ethnographic approach to online discourse, the study has shown that, in this specific trilingual online community of language teachers, language choice and the choice of a specific written variety is intimately related to audience. The group members mix Catalan, English and Spanish regularly, their language choice and code-switching strategies serving to establish in-group solidarity, familiarity and lessen face-threatening acts. Switches to English, sometimes followed by a switch to Catalan, are usually employed for humorous word play. Interestingly, the case study exemplifies how the use of a certain language may be highly correlated to ideological and political considerations.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/sic.19033.per
2022-01-25
2025-02-12
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Androutsopoulos, Jannis
    2013 “Code-switching in computer-mediated communication.” InPragmatics of Computer-mediated Communication, ed. bySusan Herring, Dieter Stein, and Tuija Virtanen, 667–694. Berlin/Boston: Gruyter Mouton. 10.1515/9783110214468.667
    https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110214468.667 [Google Scholar]
  2. 2015 “Networked multilingualism: Some language practices on Facebook and their implications.” International Journal of Bilingualism19 (2): 185–205. 10.1177/1367006913489198
    https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006913489198 [Google Scholar]
  3. Aracil, Lluís Vicent
    1966 “A Valencian dilemma.” Identity Magazine241: 17–29.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Baron, Naomi S.
    2011 “Foreword.” InDigital Discourse: Language in the new media, ed. byCrispin Thurlow and Kristine Mroczek, XI–XV. Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press. 10.1556/AEthn.56.2011.1.0
    https://doi.org/10.1556/AEthn.56.2011.1.0 [Google Scholar]
  5. Blas Arroyo, José Luis
    2002 “The languages of the Valencian educational system: The results of two decades of Language Policy.” International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism5 (6): 318–338. 10.1080/13670050208667765
    https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050208667765 [Google Scholar]
  6. 2005Sociolingüística del español: desarrollos y perspectivas en el estudio de la lengua española en contexto social. Madrid: Cátedra.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. 2007 “El contacto de lenguas como factor de retención en procesos de variación y cambio lingüístico: Datos sobre el español en una comunidad bilingüe peninsular.” Spanish in Context4 (2): 263–291. 10.1075/sic.4.2.07bla
    https://doi.org/10.1075/sic.4.2.07bla [Google Scholar]
  8. 2008 “Aspectos estructurales y sociolingüísticos de una variedad de contacto: el español de la Comunidad Valenciana.” InDiscurso y Sociedad II. Nuevas contribuciones al estudio de la lengua en contexto social, ed. byJosé Luis Blas Arroyo, Manuela Casanova Ávalos, and Mónica Velando Casanova, 19–42. Castelló: Publicacions de la Universitat Jaume I. 10.6035/EstudisFilologics.2008.28
    https://doi.org/10.6035/EstudisFilologics.2008.28 [Google Scholar]
  9. Bou-Franch, Patricia
    2006 “Solidarity and deference in Spanish computer-mediated communication: a discourse-pragmatic analysis of students’ emails to lecturers.” InWays into Discourse, ed. byPatricia Bou-Franch, 61–79. Granada: Comares.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. 2020 “Pragmatics and digital discourse in Spanish research.” InThe Routledge handbook of Spanish pragmatics, ed. byDale A. Koike and J. César Félix-Brasdefer, 533–547. London/New York: Routledge. 10.4324/9780429455643‑39
    https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429455643-39 [Google Scholar]
  11. Brown, Penelope, and Stephen C. Levinson
    1978Politeness: Some Universals in Language Usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Calero Vaquera, María Luisa
    2014 “El discurso del WhatsApp: entre el messenger y el SMS.” Oralia171: 85–114.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Climent, Salvador, Joaquim Moré, Antoni Oliver, Miriam Salvatierra, Inma Sànchez, Mariona Taulé, and Lluïsa Vallmanya
    2007 “Enhancing the Status of Catalan versus Spanish in Online Academic Forums: Obstacles to Machine Translation.” InThe Multilingual Internet: Language, culture and communication online, ed. byBrenda Danet and Susan Herring, 209–230. New York: Oxford University Press. 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195304794.003.0009
    https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195304794.003.0009 [Google Scholar]
  14. Cruz-Moya, Olga, and Alfonso Sánchez-Moya
    2021 “Humour in multimodal times: Insights from online interactions among senior users of a WhatsApp group.” Internet Pragmatics4 (1): 52–86. 10.1075/ip.00061.cru
    https://doi.org/10.1075/ip.00061.cru [Google Scholar]
  15. Dorleijn, Margreet, and Jacomine Nortier
    2009 “Code-switching and the internet.” InThe Cambridge Handbook of Linguistic Code-switching, ed. byBarbara Bullock, and Jacqueline Almeida Toribio, 127–141. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511576331.009
    https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511576331.009 [Google Scholar]
  16. Fernández-Amaya, Lucía
    2020 “Managing conflict originated by feminism: A case study from WhatsApp interaction among Spanish family members.” Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict8 (1): 88–117. 10.1075/jlac.00032.fer
    https://doi.org/10.1075/jlac.00032.fer [Google Scholar]
  17. Generalitat Valenciana
    Generalitat Valenciana 2015Enquesta ús i coneixement del valencià 2015. www.ceice.gva.es/va/web/fondo-estadistico-documental/fondo-datos-numericos
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Georgakopoulou, Alexandra
    1997 “Self-presentation and interactional alliances in e-mail discourse: The style and code-switches of Greek messages.” International Journal of Applied Linguistics7 (2): 141–164. 10.1111/j.1473‑4192.1997.tb00112.x
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1473-4192.1997.tb00112.x [Google Scholar]
  19. Gimeno-Menéndez, Francisco, and José Ramón Gómez-Molina
    2007 “Spanish and Catalan in the Community of Valencia.” International Journal of the Sociology of Language1841: 95–107. 10.1515/IJSL.2007.016
    https://doi.org/10.1515/IJSL.2007.016 [Google Scholar]
  20. Goffman, Erving
    1959The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Doubleday.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Gómez Molina, José Ramón
    1999–2000 “Transferencia y cambio de código en una comunidad bilingüe: área metropolitana de Valencia (I y II).” ContextosXVII–XVIII133–361: 309–360.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Gumperz, John J.
    1977 “The sociolinguistic significance of conversational code-switching.” RELC Journal8 (2): 1–34. 10.1177/003368827700800201
    https://doi.org/10.1177/003368827700800201 [Google Scholar]
  23. Hinrichs, Lars
    2006Codeswitching on the web: English and Jamaican Creole in e-mail communication. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins. 10.1075/pbns.147
    https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.147 [Google Scholar]
  24. 2016 “Modular repertoires in English-using social networks: A study of language choice in the networks of adult Facebook users.” InEnglish in Computer-mediated Communication. Variation, representation, and change, ed. byLauren Squires, 17–42. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. 10.1515/9783110490817‑003
    https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110490817-003 [Google Scholar]
  25. Jaworska, Sylvia
    2014 “Playful language alternation in an online discussion forum: The example of digital code plays.” Journal of Pragmatics711: 56–68. 10.1016/j.pragma.2014.07.009
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2014.07.009 [Google Scholar]
  26. Kempas, Ilpo, and Anna López Samaniego
    2007 “En torno a la elección de los tiempos pasados aorísticos en catalán/valenciano por hablantes bilingües.” Sintagma: Revista de Lingüística191: 23–38.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Kulavuz-Onal, Derya, and Camila Vásquez
    2018 “ʽThanks, shokran, graciasʼ: Translingual practices in a Facebook group.” Language Learning & Technology22 (1): 2040–255.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Labov, William
    1966The social stratification of English in New York City. Washington, D.C.: Center for Applied Linguistics.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Lado, Beatriz
    2011 “Linguistic landscape as a reflection of the linguistic and ideological conflict in the Valencian community.” International Journal of Multilingualism8 (2): 135–150. 10.1080/14790718.2010.550296
    https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2010.550296 [Google Scholar]
  30. Lam, Wan Sun Eva
    2004 “Second language socialization in a bilingual chat room: Global and local considerations.” Language Learning & Technology8 (3): 44–65.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Lee, Carmen, and David Barton
    2011 “Constructing local identities through multilingual writing practices on Flickr. com®.” International Multilingual Research Journal5 (1): 39–59. 10.1080/19313152.2011.541331
    https://doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2011.541331 [Google Scholar]
  32. Lee, Carmen
    2016 “Multilingual resources and practices in digital communication.” InThe Routledge handbook of language and digital communication, ed. byAlexandra Georgakopoulou, and Tereza Spilioti, 118–132. London/New York: Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. 2017Multilingualism Online. London/New York: Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Leppänen, Sirpa, and Saija Peuronen
    2012 “Multilingualism on the Internet.” InThe Routledge Handbook of Multilingualism, ed. byMarilyn Martin-Jones, Adrian Blackledge, and Angela Creese, 384–402. London/New York: Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Lengyelová, Andrea
    2019 Associates or zamestnanci? Language choice, attitudes and code-switching practices: The case of workplace email communication in Slovakia (Doctoral dissertation). https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/124352
  36. Li, Wei
    2011 “Moment analysis and translanguaging space: discursive construction of identities by multilingual Chinese youth in Britain.” Journal of Pragmatics431: 1222–1235. 10.1016/j.pragma.2010.07.035
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2010.07.035 [Google Scholar]
  37. Lorenzo-Dus, Nuria, and Patricia Bou-Franch
    2013 “A cross-cultural investigation of email communication in Peninsular Spanish and British English: The role of (in)formality and (in)directness.” Pragmatics and Society4 (1): 1–25. 10.1075/ps.4.1.01lor
    https://doi.org/10.1075/ps.4.1.01lor [Google Scholar]
  38. Maíz-Arévalo, Camen
    2018 “Emotional Self-presentation on WhatsApp: Analysis of the Profile Status.” Russian Journal of Linguistics22 (1): 144–160. 10.22363/2312‑9182‑2018‑22‑1‑144‑160
    https://doi.org/10.22363/2312-9182-2018-22-1-144-160 [Google Scholar]
  39. Maíz-Arévalo, Carmen
    2021 “When humour backfires: How do WhatsApp users respond to humorous profile statuses as a self-presentation strategy?” Internet Pragmatics4 (1): 111–130. 10.1075/ip.00064.are
    https://doi.org/10.1075/ip.00064.are [Google Scholar]
  40. Montes-Alcalá, Cecilia
    2016 “iSwitch: Spanish-English Mixing in Computer-Mediated Communication.” Journal of Language Contact9 (1): 23–48. 10.1163/19552629‑00901002
    https://doi.org/10.1163/19552629-00901002 [Google Scholar]
  41. Moreno-Fernández, Francisco
    2007 “Social remarks on the history of Spanish.” International Journal of the Sociology of Language1841: 7–20. 10.1515/IJSL.2007.011
    https://doi.org/10.1515/IJSL.2007.011 [Google Scholar]
  42. Myers-Scotton, Carol
    [1988] 2000 “Code-switching as indexical of social negotiations.” InThe Bilingualism Reade, ed. byWei Li, 137–165. London/New York: Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  43. Negrón Goldbarg, Rosalyn
    2009 “Spanish English code-switching in Email communication.” Language@ internet6 (3): 1–21.
    [Google Scholar]
  44. Pérez-Sabater, Carmen
    2015 “Discovering language variation in WhatsApp text interactions.” Onomázein: revista semestral de lingüística, filología y traducción31 (1): 113–126. 10.7764/onomazein.31.8
    https://doi.org/10.7764/onomazein.31.8 [Google Scholar]
  45. 2017 “Linguistic accommodation in online communication: the role of language and gender.” Revista Signos. Estudios de Lingüística50 (94): 265–286. 10.4067/S0718‑09342017000200265
    https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-09342017000200265 [Google Scholar]
  46. 2019 “Emoticons in Relational Writing Practices on WhatsApp: Some Reflections on Gender.” InAnalyzing Digital Discourse, ed. byPatricia Bou-Franch, and Pilar Garcés-Conejos Blitvich, 163–189. Chams: Palgrave Macmillan. 10.1007/978‑3‑319‑92663‑6_6
    https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92663-6_6 [Google Scholar]
  47. 2021 “Moments of sharing, language style and resources for solidarity on social media: A comparative analysis.” Journal of Pragmatics, 1801: 266–282. 10.1016/j.pragma.2021.04.034
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2021.04.034 [Google Scholar]
  48. Pérez-Sabater, Carmen, and Ginette Maguelouk-Moffo
    2019 “Managing identity in football communities on Facebook: Language preference and language mixing strategies.” Lingua2251: 32–49. 10.1016/j.lingua.2019.04.003
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2019.04.003 [Google Scholar]
  49. Peuronen, Saija
    2011 “ʽRide hard, live forever’ Translocal identities in an online community of extreme sports Christians.” InDigital Discourse: Language in the new media, ed. byCrispin Thurlow, and Kristine Mroczek, 154–176. Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press. 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199795437.003.0008
    https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199795437.003.0008 [Google Scholar]
  50. Poplack, Shana
    1980 “Sometimes I’ll start a sentence in Spanish Y TERMINO EN ESPAÑOL: toward a typology of code-switching.” Linguistics181: 581–618. 10.1515/ling.1980.18.7‑8.581
    https://doi.org/10.1515/ling.1980.18.7-8.581 [Google Scholar]
  51. Sampietro, Agnese
    2019 “Emoji and rapport management in Spanish WhatsApp chats.” Journal of Pragmatics1431: 109–120. 10.1016/j.pragma.2019.02.009
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2019.02.009 [Google Scholar]
  52. Tagg, Caroline, and Agnieska Lyons
    2019 “Migrant entrepreneurs and intersemiotic translanguaging: managing relationships in a polymedia environment.” Paper presented atIPRA 2019, Hong Kong.
    [Google Scholar]
  53. Tsiplakou, Stavoula
    2009 “Doing (bi)lingualism: Language alternation as performative construction of online identities.” Pragmatics19 (3): 361–391. 10.1075/prag.19.3.04tsi
    https://doi.org/10.1075/prag.19.3.04tsi [Google Scholar]
  54. Vela Delfa, Cristina, and Lucía Cantamutto
    2016 “De participante a observador: el método etnográfico en el análisis de las interacciones digitales de Whatsapp.” Tonos digital311: 1–22.
    [Google Scholar]
  55. Wentker, Michael
    2018 “Code-switching and identity construction in WhatsApp.” InThe Discursive Construction of Identities On-and Offline, ed. byBirte Bös, Sonja Kleinke, Sandra Mollin, and Nuria Hernández, 109–131. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/dapsac.78.05wen
    https://doi.org/10.1075/dapsac.78.05wen [Google Scholar]
  56. Wolff, H. Ekkehard
    2018 “Multilingualism, translanguaging, and linguistic superdiversity.” Nordic Journal of African Studies27 (2): 21–21.
    [Google Scholar]
  57. Yus, Francisco
    2018 “Relevance from and beyond propositions. The case of online identity.” InRelevance and Irrelevance: Theories, Factors and Challenges, ed. byJan Strassheim, and Hisashi Nasu, 119–140. Berlin/Boston: Walter de Gruyter. 10.1515/9783110472509‑006
    https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110472509-006 [Google Scholar]
  58. 2021Smartphone Communication: Interactions in the App Ecosystem. London/New York: Routledge. 10.4324/9781003200574
    https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003200574 [Google Scholar]
  59. Zentella, Ana Celia
    2016 “Spanglish: Language politics versus el habla del pueblo.” InSpanish-English codeswitching in the Caribbean and the US, ed. byRosa E. Guzzardo Tamargo, Catherine M. Mazak, and M. Carmen Parafita Couto, 11–35. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins. 10.1075/ihll.11.01zen
    https://doi.org/10.1075/ihll.11.01zen [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/sic.19033.per
Loading
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error