Code Mixing as a Window into Language Dominance: Evidence from Korean Heritage Speakers

Abstract

It is well-documented that children of immigrants often undergo language dominance shift as a result of increased exposure to the mainstream language of their environment (Bialystok, 2001; Portes & Schauffler, 1994; Ro & Cheatham, 2009). One of the ways in which this shift can manifest in natural speech is through language choice and, in particular, intrasentential code mixing. This article investigates the shift in language dominance through a longitudinal study of four young Korean heritage speakers living in the United States. Spontaneous play interaction data was collected on a monthly basis across a two-year span following the children’s entrance into English-medium schools in order to investigate the shift of dominance. In observing the children’s use of Korean, English, and Korean-English code-mixed utterances over time, it was expected that the amount of Korean utterances would decrease, while the amount of English and code-mixed utterances would increase due to the shift of language dominance. Findings revealed that while use of Korean decreased and use of English increased, the amount utterances containing code mixing remained stable across time for all children. The article argues that code mixing is not an indicator of weakened language proficiency.