"He fell in love with me in English": language negotiation in the bilingual couple

Bartzen, Elena

"He fell in love with me in English": language negotiation in the bilingual couple

Master Thesis

2013

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

School of Education

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Abstract

Research has only recently begun to explore the complex nature of bilingualism outside of the formal learning setting. In the latter half of the twentieth century, interest began to grow around language and the distinct ways in which bi- and multilingual speakers utilized their linguistic resources. The discipline of sociolinguistics as well as later theories from post-structuralism ushered in new paradigms that approached language as much more multifaceted than ever before. Language is now viewed not just as an act of individual communication, but an aspect of social representation, a measure of cultural value, and an articulation of a speaker's identity and emotional associations. This new perspective of language has contributed greatly to advancement in understanding bilingualism, particularly with language choice among bilinguals, yet research on the roles of emotions and identity in their language behavior is still underdeveloped. Too often bilingualism is studied in formal and unnatural settings, rather than daily life where language is most spontaneous and unconsciously produced. This study, therefore, aims to investigate language use in the personal lives of bilinguals.

Description

Includes bibliographical references.

Keywords

Education

Reference:

Collections

Masters

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