Examining the linguistic self in a multilingual context: reflecting on a South African adaptation of Shaw's Pygmalion

Abstract

This article reflects on a production that explored the relationship between language and identity in the contemporary South African context, where 11 official languages are embraced and English serves as lingua franca. The construct of the ‘linguistic self’ within South Africa's multilingual context was examined in a 2011 adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion. Shifts in dialect portrayed in Shaw's play and the impact on identity are equated to the linguistic shifts that the second-language (L2) speaker of English navigates in the South African context, and hence the article examines features such as code switching. The link between language and identity extends beyond the individual, since complete assimilation of a second language could result in transfer to a different ‘speech community’. The construct of ‘speech community’ shifts and the impacts it yields are manifested in the adaptation of Shaw's play. Finally, the experiences of the young socially and linguistically diverse ensemble, who contributed to and performed the adaptation, are briefly described, highlighting areas where the characters' speech community shifts echo the cast members' own personal and linguistic uniqueness.