Abstract
This paper challenges the concept of matrix, base or basic language used in many descriptions and models of insertional code-switching. It proposes an account based on Construction Grammar and usage-based principles. At the heart of the paper is a discussion of four problematic issues of matrix-language approaches: the unitary conception of the notion of language, the generalization that syntactic frames mirror languages, the missing independent evidence for a matrix language and the narrow scope of the models that employ this term. The proposed approach of Bilingual Construction Grammar instead operates with a more complex, usage-based concept of language affiliation and places constructions in the centre of speech production. It thus avoids too coarse global predictions in favour of construction-specific predictions. This way, the matrix-language effect can be reinterpreted as by-product of constructional processing. Instead of using the term matrix language it is thus more appropriate to speak of matrix constructions.
Highlights
The term “matrix language” and the idea of asymmetric switching is one of the most influential concepts in bilingualism research
Instead of using the term matrix language it is more appropriate to speak of matrix constructions
Bilingual Construction Grammar and matrix language approaches share the same principal assumption that speech production prefers the production of whole linguistic units in one piece
Summary
The term “matrix language” and the idea of asymmetric switching is one of the most influential concepts in bilingualism research. While matrix language models are usually data driven, theory-driven models do usually not assume a matrix language They rather try to avoid specific bilingual assumptions, because this makes the model less relevant for general linguistic aspects. The assumption is that bilingual language processing models must not in principle differ from monolingual ones (MacSwan 2005: 277; Muysken 2000: 3). In this paper I would like to discuss some basic problems that are common to all approaches that in one way or another are based on the concept of a matrix language. The conclusion that asymmetric code-switching shows the role of whole languages – and not of single constructions – for language productionis questionable.
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