Language crossing of young adults in Bangladesh

Abstract

ABSTRACTBased on an intensive ethnographic study in a university in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the paper explores ‘language crossing’ observable in casual and Facebook (FB) conversations of young adults in Bangladesh. The analysis of the data with ‘transglossic framework’ demonstrates that exaggerated pronunciation, slang and swear words in face-to-face conversations and orthographic patterns on FB make young adults’ language practices stylised and with the stylisation, they present polyphonic voices. These voices are the means for them, in their own ways, to cross the boundaries and minimise the social marginalisation they experience in their day-to-day life for their linguistic, demographic, educational, and socioeconomic backgrounds. In the process, however, they seem to perform hyper masculine misogynist and extremely nationalistic identities. Their stylisation indicates that language crossing is in a complex relationship with the societal ideologies and existing stark realities of their life. Consequently, the paper complicates the issue of ‘language crossing’, showing that stylisation ensures momentary empowerment of these young adults at the cost of sustaining and reinforcing the vicious circle of ideologies, promoting inequality, abuse, prejudices, and male supremacism. Therefore, the paper suggests studying ‘language crossing’ going beyond linguistic features and critically analysing it with reference to social stratification in the post-modern society.