Language Contact Research Articles

Arabic or English? Multilingual users’ preferences in Dubai ATM transactions

Language choice or preference, that is the deliberate selection of language(s) for different purposes in different contexts, situations and domains, is a complex sociolinguistic phenomenon as it is usually motivated by numerous sociolinguistic factors. This study investigates language choice between Arabic and English during automated teller machine (ATM) transactions in Dubai, a cosmopolitan city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and aims at exploring the factors influencing these preferences. The data were collected, using a survey questionnaire, from 566 ATM users in Dubai. The findings reveal that nearly all non-Arab participants favor English over Arabic for ATM transactions, irrespective of their length of stay in the country and their proficiency level in English and Arabic, given that Dubai ATMs offer only these two languages. On the other hand, Arab participants, including UAE nationals and Arab expatriates, tend to use Arabic more frequently than English. However, those residing in Dubai show a greater preference for English compared to those living outside Dubai. Additional factors such as age, gender, level of education, occupation, and comfort with technology were also investigated. This research illuminates the prevalent use and elevated status of English in Dubai, affirming its significance among both native and non-native Arabic speakers. Furthermore, it offers insight into the linguistic resources employed by individuals in transactional exchanges, contributing to our understanding of the complex relationship between language contact, language attitudes, language choice, and technology adoption within a multilingual urban setting. The findings underscore the importance of examining linguistic preferences within specific subdomains of multilingual communities.

Why do Mandarin speakers code-switch? A case study of conversational code-switching in China

Multilingualism is becoming increasingly common worldwide, with multilingual studies becoming more popular and accelerating interpersonal language contacts; however, it remains controversial and ambiguous in China. The current study aims to explore code-switching (CS) patterns and factors among Mandarin-dominated mainland Chinese speakers and investigate multilingual development in China through CS, as it is a multilingual practice. Conversational analysis was conducted to analyse daily interactions in short videos posted online, categorise language varieties and frequencies, identify CS patterns, and examine the factors influencing CS patterns. The results revealed that foreign languages and dialects other than Mandarin were spoken by Mandarin-dominated speakers. Three of four CS patterns were also pinpointed regarding language practices in China. Insertion was the most predominant pattern, followed by backflagging and alternation. The CS patterns employed by Mandarin-dominated mainland Chinese speakers were influenced primarily by participant-related factors, followed by linguistic-related factors, sociopsychological factors, convenience, and situational factors. The prevalence of the insertional CS pattern and the influence of personal factors suggest that China’s Mandarin-speaking community is in an early phase of multilingual development.

Multilingual Tallinn: People and Languages in the Urban Space

Multilingualism in post-Soviet countries where as a result of the Soviet time migration and Russification, Russian speakers still constitute a significant part of population, presents an interesting case for analysis. Estonia, being officially a monolingual country with quite strict language policy, is extremely linguistically diverse in terms of actual everyday communication, with both Russian and English playing a significant role. Moreover, as Estonia attracts many foreign visitors, expats, and refugees, other languages, including Ukrainian, also become more and more noticeable in both visual and acoustic form in public spaces. However, spatial distribution of different languages in urban landscapes varies significantly, and by analyzing it one can reveal not only the patterns of language use but also power relations between different linguistic, ethnic, and social groups. The paper reports on preliminary results of a study conducted in Tallinn in 2022–2023 and focused on collecting and comparing data on both linguistic landscapes and soundscapes in several locations in the city. The study shows a mismatch between visual linguistic representation and actual linguistic diversity and tries to contemplate it in a broader historical context of multilingualism and language contacts in the Baltic region.

언어 접촉(Language Contact)의 관점에서 본 중국 조선어의 변이 양상

This paper aims to empirically demonstrate the variation patterns observed in Chinese Korean and rationally explain them from the perspective of language contact. Over a long period and for various reasons, the ethnic Koreans who migrated from the Korean Peninsula to China have been influenced by the Han Chinese, the majority ethnic group in China, in numerous aspects, including economy, society, culture, and language, due to the policies of the Chinese government. In the multi-ethnic and multilingual society of China, language contact is a common phenomenon. Consequently, Chinese Korean inevitably exhibits elements of the Chinese language in addition to its original Korean linguistic features. Previous research has primarily focused on the diachronic perspective, addressing the characteristics of Korean vocabulary altered under the influence of Chinese. This paper, however, aims to directly observe the variation patterns resulting from language contact with Chinese from a synchronic perspective. For this purpose, Korean compositions written by adolescents in Korean ethnic communities were collected and comprehensively examined. The analysis revealed a significant presence of hybrid words combining Korean derivational suffixes or endings with Chinese morphemes, despite the typological and genealogical differences between Korean and Chinese. Additionally, certain sentence structures showed the influence of Chinese. Based on these findings, it was concluded that the intensity of contact between Korean and Chinese corresponds to level three according to Thomason (2001).

البُعد الإسلامي في الهويّة الوطنيّة للغة الماليزيّة

The spread of Islam in the Malay Archipelago has a significant impact on social change and the development of the Malay language, which is one of the languages spoken in the archipelago at this time. It is a global language that plays a major role in the spread of Islam in Malaysia and the neighboring countries of the archipelago. As for the Arabic language and the Malay language, they have the same position in linguistic communication. As this presence in language contact provides a balance between the two languages; which leads to exchange and interaction between them; As for the linguistic identity, it also has a role in uniting the different ethnicities in Malaysia through the Malay language. This study will follow the descriptive and analytical approach. The study aims to clarify the concept of national identity and its connection with the spirit of belonging, with the characteristics and features that it represents that distinguish Malaysians from their different ethnicities from other neighboring countries. Therefore, Malaysians show their personal characteristics as Malaysian citizens, to reflect the civilized image of Malaysia. In addition, this paper shows the influence of Islam on the development of the Malay language and the influence of the Islamic dimension from several aspects, including writing, translation, education, and borrowed Arabic vocabulary in the Malay language in the religious aspect. This made the Malay language carry Islamic dimensions in it, which led to a change in the Malaysian people's view of life and helped to unify them through the national identity from the linguistic side according to the Islamic point of view.

Detecting angloversal tendencies in the outer circle: a pilot study on a Maltese English speaker

Abstract World Englishes constitute an ever-developing study field where keeping track of the real-time changes which occur in language usage is a challenging task. This chapter aims at broadening the application field of the research on angloversals, described in literature as particular features divergent from Standard English and shared by English varieties across the world regardless of their geographical proximity or cultural affiliation. The present qualitative study hypothesises the presence of angloversals in Maltese English and considers a blended methodological approach to verify the research hypothesis. The study was performed on selected oral excerpts taken from a random interview to a speaker of the Maltese English continuum. Both the interviewee and the interviewer are native Maltese speakers and communicated in English all throughout the interview with no instances of code mixing between the two languages. Syntactical structures containing the overuse of the progressive aspect, article omission and resumptive pronouns, as well as unmarked phonology traits have been included in the angloversal categories by previous research on the matter. Said features are particularly found in contexts where language contact has had an impact on both the substrate and superstrate languages. This is the case for the Maltese context, where explanations for the plausible presence of the above features are to be sought in the realms of transfer from Maltese to English, language universals and pragmatic principles.

On Promoting Literacy in Regional and Minority Languages: Some Potential Pointers from Central and Eastern Europe for Trinidad English Creole

Based on current initiatives to promote literacy in several Central and Eastern European minority languages, the present article provides a reflective overview of a range of pointers that these case studies could potentially offer for Trinidad English Creole, a creole language spoken widely in the Caribbean twin-island nation of Trinidad & Tobago but which does not have official status in that jurisdiction. Though the case study may at first seem unusual, the article justifies the selection by briefly comparing and contrasting the relevant historical factors which have influenced the modern-day usage of several minority languages in Central and East Europe with the situation regarding Trinidad English Creole, drawing attention to shared factors such as the prevalence of language contact, diglossia, and sociocultural domination by external influences. After sketching the current state of the art regarding the usage and the wider (lack of) recognition of Trinidad English Creole, the study then outlines the chosen methodological approach, which is qualitative and desk-based in purview, and linking it to the author’s existing research studies which have centred on these themes and geographical areas. Subsequently, taking the Central and East European context as a point of departure, the study then outlines the different potential pointers which could lead to the promotion of greater literacy in Trinidad English Creole, noting that up until now the focus of governmental and educational efforts has coalesced around encouraging the uptake of Spanish as an additional language in Trinidad & Tobago. In observing changing attitudes to creole languages in the wider English-speaking Caribbean, the first point centres around awareness- raising, advocating for the existence of a specialist university-based institution to promote the research and academic study of Trinidad English Creole, thus emulating examples taken from other minority languages in Central and Eastern Europe such as Rusyn, South Estonian, and Kashubian. The second point relates to the potential development of intensive training courses (of several months’ duration) for Trinidad English Creole which could incorporate a literacy-based component. In presenting the Central and East European context, it gives a cursory overview of the possibilities for such courses, profiling the recent addition of specialised long-term courses designed to promote the uptake and spread of Lower Sorbian, whilst acknowledging the success of such programmes for Breton. In addition, similarly to the case of other Central and East European minority languages, such schemes could also encourage the production of necessary and relevant pedagogical materials to study, learn, and teach Trinidad English Creole in an effective and sustainable manner. Linked to the previous one, the third point relates to the potential development of language certification schemes for Trinidad English Creole, noting the existence of similar schemes for Upper Sorbian and Lower Sorbian. It also draws attention to the myriad other factors which are involved in creating and developing training programmes, including the potential viability and prospects of such initiatives.

Examining the impact of foreign language anxiety and language contact on oral proficiency: a study of Chinese as a second language learners

Abstract This study addresses gaps in the existing literature on foreign language anxiety (FLA) by examining its impact on the oral proficiency of Chinese as a second language (CSL) learners. Unlike previous research, this investigation includes less commonly taught languages and considers the role of language contact as a mediating variable. Using structural equation modelling (SEM), we reveal that (1) CSL learning anxiety negatively affects CSL oral complexity and fluency in a direct way, but does not influence oral accuracy; (2) language contact affects CSL oral proficiency, with verbal contact having a particular impact on oral fluency; and (3) language contact does not mediate the relationship between CSL learning anxiety and oral proficiency. This study contributes to current theories of FLA in L2 acquisition by highlighting the roles of anxiety in different oral proficiency measurements even though the mediating effect of language contact does not exist.

English and Kiswahili Lexical Localization in Kibena

This paper has examined how English and Kiswahili borrowed expressions have been localized in Kibena. The study was guided by Kachru theory of language dominance and deficit, which deals with language contact and lexical borrowing between donor and recipient languages. In this study English and Kiswahili were the donor language and Kibena was the recipient language whereby the Kibena speakers consciously or unconsciously localized English and Kibena words in Kibena during communication process. The study employed a mixed approach and a descriptive research design in data collection, presentation, and discussion. Data were collected from fourteen written texts and fifty respondents through a questionnaire, interview, and documentary review. The data were analyzed using conceptual and rational content analysis methods. The findings underscore the significance of language contact in developing Kibena lexical knowledge through new lexical creation, borrowing, or localization in order to fill the lexical gap and for prestige attainment. The study realized that English and Kiswahili lexical which were localization in Kibena influenced the development of new words in Kibena through loan blend words formation, neologism creation and word to word translation techniques. The language contact was found to be among of the language’s vocabularies enrichment through words borrowing, naturalization, and adaptation. It is recommended that other research be done on the role of the phonological adaptation process of English and Kiswahili words into Kibena during lexical localization.

Pidgin English proverbs as a source of structural nativization in Nigerian English

AbstractIn this paper, we explore the role of Nigerian Pidgin English (NPE) proverbs in language contact settings and their impact on the development of idiomatic phraseology in Nigerian English (NgE). In a set of 100 NPE proverbs, we identified lexical keywords that served as anchors for searches in the large‐scale Nairaland corpus to detect recurrent collocational patterns that in further proximity searches yielded frequent, lexico‐grammatically variable patterns that may be interpreted as innovations at the early stages of idiom formation. The findings suggest that cognitively motivated key lexical items of NPE proverbs may serve as a basis for the formation of variable but also lexico‐grammatically more condensed idiomatic expressions in NgE.

The whole network approach to understanding language contact reporting inconsistency in peer interactions

Language contact in peer interactions during study abroad has drawn considerable attention from applied linguists and educators. Scholars have developed various tools to collect language contact and social interaction information, such as the Language Contact Profile, the Language Log, and the Social Interaction Questionnaire. This paper employs a whole network design with peer evaluation to collect data on social interaction, use of languages, perceived language proficiency, and total time spent using different languages among 23 students with diverse backgrounds. These students were enrolled in an English-medium program in China that caters exclusively to international students. Findings show that the whole network approach can effectively cross-validate students’ self-reported language use and proficiency alongside their social interactions. The paper also offers several strategies, rooted in the whole network approach, to detect potential inconsistencies in these self-reported measures that warrant further investigations.

Lexical variation of woods and bush in Ontario English

AbstractThis paper examines ongoing lexical variability among words that describe areas with trees, such as woods, bush and forest, among others. The historical perspective shows ongoing semantic evolution of these terms, from wood(s) (c.825) to the emergence of bush in the late 16th century or early 17th century. We assess regional, social and linguistic patterns of variation in 1849 tokens, from individuals born in the late 1800s to early 200s across 21 communities in Ontario, Canada. The most common word is bush; use of woods is moderate while forest is rare. Ancestry and migration play key roles in their distribution, demonstrating that ancestral roots, migration and language contact play into the selection of a word. We argue that lexical variation, when analysed in a comparative sociolinguistic perspective in the context of social typology, history and geographic location, offers important insights into language use and human behaviour.

ALMAN DİLİNİN LEKSİK QATINDA “QLOBALLAŞMA” KOMPONENTLİ MÜRƏKKƏB SÖZLƏRİN LİNQVOKOQNİTİV XÜSUSİYYƏTLƏRİ

Linguio-Cognitive Characteristics of Compound Words with the Component “Globalization” in the Lexical Layer of the German Language Summary In this article, the author investigates the impact of the globalization process on the German language, paying special attention to the reflection of globalization in the lexical system of the German language. The author notes that the process of globalization affects all the aspects of human activity, not just individual ones. The author also takes into consideration the pragmatic and word-forming features of thematic groups. In the article the author emphasizes globalization as the internationalization of all areas of social life, as a new stage of the formation of the whole world based on the latest achivements of the information technology revolution. Key words: language, globalization, Anglo-Americanisms, language contacts, sociolinguistics communication, semantic transformations

Linguistic synesthesia in language contact: Sino-Korean vs. native Korean synesthetic compounds

This study examines whether linguistic synesthesia shares mapping directionality across languages and cultures in terms of language contact. This motivation has led to the examination of Sino-Korean synesthetic compounds compared to native Korean ones. A comparative analysis of Sino-Korean and native Korean synesthesia proposes that language contact has observed linguistic variations in transfer directionality in linguistic synesthesia. In other words, this study’s results show that Sino-Korean compound synesthesia has a directionality model similar to Mandarin Chinese, which differs from previous universality models. In contrast, native Korean compound synesthesia directionality follows diagrams from Korean synesthesia research and previous studies based on Indo-European languages.

Counterfactual conditional strategies in some Amazonian languages

Studies on individual Amazonian languages have shown that these languages can contribute to informing and refining our theories of counterfactual conditional constructions. Still missing, however, is an attempt at exploring this complex sentence construction across different genetic units of the Amazonia in a single study. The paper explores counterfactual conditionals in a sample of 24 Amazonian languages. Special attention is paid to the range of TAM markers and clause-linking devices used in counterfactual conditionals in the Amazonian languages in the sample. As for TAM markers, it is shown that protases tend to be unmarked (they do not occur with any TAM values), and apodoses tend to occur with irrealis or frustrative marking. As for clause-linking devices, it is shown that most Amazonian languages in the sample contain counterfactual conditionals occurring with non-specialized clause-linking devices. This means that the distinction between counterfactual conditionals and other types of conditionals (e.g., real/generic) is not grammaticalized in clause-linking devices. Instead, the counterfactual conditional meaning resides in the combination of specific TAM markers. The paper also pays close attention to the distribution of TAM markers and clause-linking devices in counterfactual conditional constructions in the Vaupés. In particular, special attention is paid to how Tariana counterfactual conditional construction have been shaped by Tucanoan languages through language contact.

An Information-Theoretic Approach to Morphosyntactic Complexity in English, Dutch and German

ABSTRACT Though equi-complexity of languages has long been an assumption in the study of language, recent research has argued that languages differ with regard to their morphological complexity. Some languages rely more on bound morphology to express grammatical meanings, whereas other languages rely more on lexical or word-order-based strategies. It is a moot point to what extent these differences correlate with demographic factors such as population size and language contact, and how complexity should be measured. In this study, we use information-theory, more specifically Kolmogorov Complexity, to assess morphological and word-order-based strategies and apply the procedure to three West Germanic languages, English, Dutch and German, which have been argued to form a continuum along the morphological complexity cline, plausibly due to different rates of demographic upheaval and concomitant language contact. Tracing the morphological and word-order-based complexity through time in parallel Bible translations, our results show that English is consistently less morphologically complex than its sisters, continuing on its path of morphological simplification. We see a statistically robust trade-off between morphology and word order complexity. We find support for earlier findings in the literature, with the exception of the difference between Dutch and German, which does not transpire in our results.

COMPARATIVE TYPOLOGY OF UZBEK AND RUSSIAN LANGUAGE GRAMMAR

This paper compares and contrasts the phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics of the grammars of the Russian and Uzbek languages. We reveal both parallels and discrepancies between these two languages through a methodical analysis of linguistic elements, underscoring the intricate interaction of historical, cultural, and cognitive elements influencing language usage and structure. Consonant and vowel inventories are among the phonological and morphological characteristics that share similarities, but there are also noticeable differences in grammatical categories and syntactic structures, according to our analysis. Furthermore, we investigate how language contact, cultural factors, and cognitive processes shape typological diversity and linguistic variation. We expand on our knowledge of language diversity and universality by using an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates insights from linguistics, anthropology, psychology, and cognitive science.

Toponymic unity of the Carpathian region

Abstract The article lists 26 toponyms that are characteristic and common in the entire Carpathian region. They have been selected according to their toponymic classification (mostly oronyms, hydronyms, and oikonyms), and their etymology. These toponyms are commonly observed in the parts of the Carpathian Mountains located in Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine. As the basis for the toponymic analysis, we accepted a common appellative of Romanian or Slavic origins. Migrations of peoples of Slavic and Romanian (Vlach) origin had a significant influence on the dissemination of these toponyms, mainly due to pastoral transhumance and the so-called Vlach colonization. The toponyms were analyzed in semantic and structural terms. The list presents a variety and richness of regional forms which may be encountered in different Carpathian dialects as a legacy of ancient language contacts.

Euclide, the crow, the wolf and the pedestrian: distance metrics for linguistic typology.

It is common for people working on linguistic geography, language contact and typology to make use of some type of distance metric between lects. However, most work so far has either used Euclidean distances, or geodesic distance, both of which do not represent the real separation between communities very accurately. This paper presents two datasets: one on walking distances and one on topographic distances between over 8700 lects across all macro-areas. We calculated walking distances using Open Street Maps data, and topographic distances using digital elevation data. We evaluate these distance metrics on three case studies and show that from the four distances, the topographic and geodesic distances showed the most consistent performance across datasets, and would be likely to be reasonable first choices. At the same time, in most cases, the Euclidean distances were not much worse than the other distances, and might be a good enough approximation in cases for which performance is critical, or the dataset cover very large areas, and the point-location information is not very precise.

Gender assignment in language contact

Gender assignment in language contact