Codeswitching from English Essay example -- Language

The use of codeswitching between English and other languages is examined from a sociolinguistic perspective. It will be shown that codeswitching is instinctive and achieves overarching objectives such as serving the outcome of speech, defining identity and indirectly delineating aspects of the relationship between the participants, it 'lubricates' the conversation by making it more 'fluid', and when English is used, brings clarity and precision, particularly to formal arrangements. Finally codeswitching from English as a component of 'metrolinguistics' will be considered in relation to the data provided. The extracts are between G. D. Jayalakshmi, known as Jaya, who normally speaks English (but also Kannada, a south Indian language, Bengali, some Punjabi and Tamil), Nitin and Prathibha, who are work colleagues, and her brother Jagadish, known as Jaggu. The script of the conversations can be found in the U214 Assignments document pages 3 and 4, and the line numbering references are as used there. In the first conversation between Jaya and Nitin, Jaya points out in her commentary, that in 1.1 Nitin begins in English 'because the conversation is about work', in 1.2 she replies in Kannada, to demonstrate her friendliness toward him whilst observing that Nitin's use of English is due, not only to the work context, but also his knowledge that she has lived in England for many years and he too, wishes to show her friendliness by using English. Jaya concludes that they have used two languages to get closer, but they finish the conversation, 1.6 to 1.11 in English, which, talking to Pratibha in dialogue 2 she describes as the language of 'definiteness', or again in 4, with Jaggu, 'of arrangements'. The few words at the start of this ... ...OM), Milton Keynes, The Open University. English in the World, (2012), (U214, Worlds of English, DVD ROM), Milton Keynes, The Open University. McCormick, K. (2012), 'English and Other Languages' in Seargeant, P. and Swann, J. (ed.) History, Diversity, Change (U214, English in the World), Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 245-290. Meyerhoff, M. and Strycharz, A. (2012), 'Variation and Change in English' in Seargeant, P. and Swann, J. (ed.) History, Diversity, Change (U214, English in the World), Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 291-329. North, S. (2012), 'English a Linguistic Toolkit' (U214, Worlds of English), Milton Keynes, The Open University. Transcript, 'Clip 1.6.3 Codeswitching between English, Kannada and Hindi' printed from English: a Linguistic Tool Kit, (2012), (U214, Worlds of English, DVD ROM), Milton Keynes, The Open University.