Language Contact Research Articles

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

Bringing English Back in School Education: English in Government Schools of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh

In the immediate aftermath of Indian Independence in 1947, there was a palpable attempt to replace English with Hindi and other Indian languages to unleash the processes of decolonisation. English was castigated as the language of the British Empire and was seen to be the basis of power and privilege for a handful of English-educated elites. A new nation-state thought it imperative to replace English with other languages which ultimately led to language-based reorganisation of Indian states. Subsequently, there was the replacement of English with Indian languages as mediums of instruction at different levels of education. Such a demand was hugely supported by a large number of Indian intelligentsia. However, six to seven decades down the line, there appears to be a reversal of earlier language politics as governments in various states of India are bringing English back as an aspirational language. This article attempts to understand the context of such a reversal. It also analyses ideological constructions of linguistic reality and its hold on popular perception. Ideologically constructed realities of language become a concrete, tangible force to reckon with. The article explores the renewed interest and urgency in learning English, using the frameworks of language ideology and the Bourdieusian framework of ‘language as a praxis’. Following Hilary Janks, the article underlines the significance of providing critical access to English by historicising and denaturalising its prevalence as one of the major contact languages at the international level.

Vitality of Lembak Language Bengkulu City in the Dynamics of Contemporary Society

This study explored the current situation and challenges facing the preservation of the Lembak language among the Lembak ethnic group in Bengkulu City. With globalization and modernization, there were concerns about keeping indigenous languages like Lembak alive, especially with the influence of dominant languages. The study aimed to evaluate the vitality of the Lembak language, identify factors contributing to its preservation or decline, and provide recommendations for its sustained maintenance amid the continuously changing societal dynamics. Employing a mixed-method approach, the methodology encompassed cluster sampling for a survey comprising 210 respondents drawn from seven neighborhoods across three districts in Bengkulu City, alongside purposive sampling for interviews involving 36 respondents from diverse demographic strata encompassing varying age groups and occupational backgrounds, including parents, teachers, and students, all of whom were native Lembak speakers. Findings revealed an average vitality index of 0.38 for the Lembak language, signifying its endangered status. While the language remained prevalent among older age groups limited in their community, its usage notably declined among younger generations, partially due to language contact and a preference for dominant languages. This situation is exacerbated by the lack of formal support and promotion from the government, absence of official backing, insufficient formal teaching materials, minimal language documentation, and the necessity for the Lembak language to adapt to the new challenges of the digital era to remain relevant and develop.To ensure the Lembak language survives, it was suggested to raise awareness, improve education, and gain support from the government and other groups.

Quantitative Stylistic Analysis of Middle Chinese Texts Based on the Dissimilarity of Evolutive Core Word Usage

Stylistic analysis enables open-ended and exploratory observation of languages. To fill the gap in the quantitative analysis of the stylistic systems of Middle Chinese, we construct lexical features based on the evolutive core word usage and scheme a Bayesian method for feature parameters estimation. The lexical features are from the Swadesh list, each of which has different word forms along with the language evolution during the Middle Ages. We thus count the varied word of those entries along with the language evolution as the linguistic features. With the Bayesian formulation, the feature parameters are estimated to construct a high-dimensional random feature vector to obtain the pair-wise dissimilarity matrix of all the texts based on different distance measures. Finally, we perform the spectral embedding and clustering to visualize, categorize, and analyze the linguistic styles of Middle Chinese texts. The quantitative result agrees with the existing qualitative conclusions and, furthermore, betters our understanding of the linguistic styles of Middle Chinese from both the inter-category and intra-category aspects. It also helps unveil the special styles induced by the indirect language contact.

A typological approach to language change in contact situations

Abstract Language contact phenomena have increasingly been researched from different historical linguistic, sociolinguistic and areal-typological perspectives. However, since most of this research is based on case studies, an assessment of contact phenomena from a worldwide comparative perspective has been missing in the literature. In this article, we draw inspiration from historical linguistics and language typology to present a new typological approach for evaluating evidence that given linguistic domains have been affected by language contact. This method has three parts: (1) a new approach to sampling, (2) the analysis of typological data, and (3) making probabilistic inferences about language contact. We argue that this is a parsimonious method for evaluating contact effects that can serve as a starting point for the further development of typological approaches to language contact.

Contact-Induced Change in the Jewish Neo-Aramaic Dialects

Abstract In this article, I present an introductory overview of the Jewish Neo-Aramaic dialects, followed by a study of various aspects of contact-induced change that are exhibited by these dialects. Neo-Aramaic dialects were also spoken by Christian communities in the same region. The Jewish and Christian dialects differ from one another, even where the two communities lived in the same geographical area. I show that contact-induced change was generally more advanced in Jewish NENA dialects than in neighboring Christian dialects. I also demonstrate that a study of contact-induced changes provides evidence of the migration history of the communities. I present two case studies of differing degrees of convergence with contact languages and evidence of different migration patterns. These are (i) the Jewish and Christian NENA dialects of Urmi (northwestern Iran) and (ii) the Jewish and Christian NENA dialects of Sanandaj (western Iran).

Grammatical Features in Language Contact Setting: The Case of 3è and 1ère students of GBHS Koza and GHS Mozogo

The most common way that languages influence each other is in the exchange of words. The present study deals with grammatical features in essays written by students of GBHS Koza and BHS Mozogo and their natural occurring interactions which are the empirical foundations of primary data source. The research adopted the qualitative and quantitative approaches. The corpus comprises 250 essay writing scripts collected in February 2024. The data were processed and analysed using Kachru (1983a) theory on postcolonial and/or world Englishes. Results showed a new stream of CamFE in the grammatical features found in students’ essays and interactions which include haphazard relative pronouns, articles omission, object omission in nominal phrase, lack of subject-verb agreement, possessive adjectives, misplacement of adjectives, non-standard construction of interrogative sentences and adjectival reduplication.