Sociolinguistic Context Research Articles

Negotiating sociolinguistic justice: turning spaces of inequality into spaces of conscientization

Abstract This introduction to the special issue Negotiating Sociolinguistic Justice: Turning Spaces of Inequality into Spaces of Conscientization focuses on how sociolinguistic research can be reimagined as a tool for activism and social intervention. The authors advocate for research that not only describes language-based inequalities but actively intervenes to address them by engaging communities in participatory processes. Inspired by Paulo Freire’s concept of conscientization, this special issue explores ho w spaces can be created for researchers and participants to engage in critical reflection on linguistic injustices, investigate their socio-political roots, and mobilize for collective change. Grounded in the action-research project EquiLing, conducted across various sociolinguistic contexts in Spain – including Madrid, Galicia, Catalonia, and the Basque Country – this special issue examines the role of language in the (re)production of social inequalities, manifesting differently across regions. These inequalities include the exclusion of immigrant languages, non-standardized language varieties, and minoritized languages such as Basque, Galician, and Catalan, as well as the misrecognition of their speakers, resulting in their limited participation in social institutions. In four articles, the authors illustrate how conscientization spaces integrate participants’ voice and agency – from university students to youth in sports clubs – to critically reflect on the roots of language-based inequality and mobilize toward counteraction. Each article explores a different stage of the conscientization process, from raising awareness of inequalities to exploring structural causes to mobilizing for action. The issue also examines how research committed to sociopolitical transformation extends beyond academic boundaries, requiring partnerships with social collectives and activists at all stages of the research. This involvement poses significant challenges to epistemological, methodological and policy frameworks, which in turn raise ethical concerns. Addressing these challenges requires rethinking who has the right to produce knowledge and developing approaches that foster collaborative engagement with co-participants and stakeholders. This approach adds a political dimension to research, which in turn poses new challenges, particularly with regard to the impact of transformative action, and requires critical reflection on the social responsibilities of researchers and the power dynamics inherent in research practices. Ultimately, it requires navigating ethical complexities related to participants’ agency and authorship. This special issue highlights the potential of participatory action research to promote sociolinguistic justice and aims to contribute to the ongoing debate on how to effectively address these challenges. Together, these contributions provide a roadmap for future research that seeks not only to understand linguistic inequalities but also to transform them through collective action.

Multiliteracy Play: Designs and Desires in the Second Language Classroom (Book Review)

Notable paradigmatic shifts in second language education have taken place over the course of the last several decades. During the mid-1990s, the ‘social turn’ was marked by moves away from the understanding of second language acquisition as a purely cognitive process toward a more holistic understanding of a language learner’s agency and situatedness within dynamic sociolinguistic contexts (Ellis, 2021). Over the last 10 years, the ‘multilingual turn’ has built upon the social turn to include critical and post-structural perspectives that address sociocultural and sociolinguistic power dynamics. These perspectives value learners’ fluid multilingual competencies, such as translanguaging, in an increasingly globalized world (Ellis, 2021). Presently, this shift continues to drive increased interest in linguistic plurality, multimodal learning and expression, and what is known as multiliteracies (Zapata et al., 2023). Multiliteracies refers to a theoretical and practical approach to literacy pedagogy developed by the New London Group (1996) which calls for educators to acknowledge the ever-increasing cultural and linguistic diversity of modern globalized societies as well as the increasingly diverse forms of texts, information, and technologies that circulate throughout them. In doing so, educators can better engage the contextual discourses, or “lifeworlds,” of learners, providing opportunities for the process of agentive (re)design, or meaning-making. In Multiliteracy Play: Designs and Desires in the Second Language Classroom, Chantelle Warner builds upon the New London Group’s framework by providing a vision for further realizing the current paradigmatic shift in second language teaching. The author’s core argument is that multiliteracy play, described as creative (and sometimes subversive) “tinkering” with linguistic, cultural, and semiotic meaning, further emphasizes and explores facets of the second language learning process that remain neglected: affect, aesthetic, design, and desire. [First Paragraph]

A Report On World English Variety – Tok Pisin

Tok Pisin, one of the official languages of Papua New Guinea, has evolved into a lingua franca spoken by over six million people in the country. This study aims to analyze the history, sociolinguistic context, as well as the morphological and syntactic features of Tok Pisin, one of the official languages of Papua New Guinea. The research is qualitative descriptive in nature. The population includes Tok Pisin speakers in Papua New Guinea, with a sample of 15 Papua New Guinean students in Melbourne selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected through literature analysis and surveys. Data analysis was conducted thematically with triangulation. The findings highlight the significant role of Tok Pisin as a lingua franca connecting more than 800 language groups in Papua New Guinea, despite the diverse opinions among its speakers. Morphologically, the language exhibits strong English influence through the use of affixes "-im" and "-pela," while syntactically, it maintains an SVO word order. The conclusion of this study emphasizes the value of Tok Pisin as a cultural identity and a unifying tool, although a small number of speakers perceive it as a barrier to English proficiency. This research provides critical insights into the dynamics of contact languages in multilingual societies.

Language choice in a multilingual setting: the preference for English language among school children in Nigeria

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the increasing preference for the English language among school children in Calabar and Owerri in the South–South and South–East geopolitical regions of Nigeria. Data for the study were sourced through participant observation, semi-structured interviews and the administration of questionnaires. With the aid of 20 research assistants who were bi/multilinguals in Nigerian indigenous language(s) and English, 678 questionnaires were randomly administered. Upon retrieval, 600 were validated from respondents in 20 randomly selected private secondary schools in the two urban cities. Findings show remarkable pressure from parents, peers, teachers, religion and personal choices that account for the increasing preference for English language use among the students. The practice is believed to be influenced by the official status of English and the prominent roles it performs in the Nigerian multilingual setting. In spite of the negative implications of the trend in Nigeria’s sociolinguistic context, participants related that they were motivated by the minimal roles of indigenous languages and the widening and accessible opportunities where one is proficient in English. It is recommended that stakeholders should garner collective efforts for renewed advocacy to encourage the use of Nigerian indigenous languages in order to save them from further endangerment and extinction.

The role of demographic, linguistic and social-psychological factors in explaining plurilingual self-assessment of immigrant youth

ABSTRACT The current study investigates the predictive relationships among demographic (arrival age, gender, SES), linguistic (exposure, home languages), and social-psychological (attitude, motivation, parental aspirations) factors and immigrant students’ plurilingual self-assessment (SA). The sample includes 160 French-speaking immigrant youth drawn from 6 Israeli schools. Drawing on holistic views of multilingualism, the study utilises a unique plurilingual ‘can-do’ instrument for examining students’ SA in three languages: (1) French, the heritage language (2) Hebrew, the school language and (3) English taught as a foreign language. Questionnaires were administered to collect information about the factors under investigation. Hierarchical regression analyses reveal a differential pattern of prediction of SA in French, Hebrew and English respectively involving analogous background variables, notably current language use, and those playing a language-specific role, e.g. integrative orientation to learn French and Hebrew. Moreover, SA in Hebrew and English were found to be significantly related, implying that SA of additional languages is interdependent. The results highlight the role of the sociolinguistic context and the specificity of each language as a source of variation in multilingual learning among immigrant students besides individual characteristics. The results imply that immigrants’ perceived plurilingual repertoire along with context-specific variables must be taken into account in their instruction and assessment.

Functions of English language in the Linguistic Landscape of Vilnius

Globalization has made English one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It has become the language code of choice for international communication and plays an important role in various sociolinguistic contexts, such as public or globalized spaces (Pennycook 2010). As a result, English is the most frequently studied object in linguistic landscape studies (Gorter and Cenoz 2023: 252). Examining the use of English in public spaces is relevant because it not only helps to assess the extent to which English is used in various sociolinguistic contexts but also reflects its prestige, power, and socioeconomic values, as well as its relationship with other languages.This paper analyses the functions of the English in the linguistic landscape of Vilnius, exploring how these functions differ depending on the discourse type. An analysis of 861 signs revealed the presence of English in the following discourses: commercial, cultural, street art, infrastructural, public service, tourism, COVID-19, protest, sports, regulatory, political, and health promotion. The findings indicate that English mainly performs an informative function – 63.8% of cases. In certain discourses – public service, COVID-19, and regulatory – English plays an exclusively informative role. Conversely, the symbolic use of English is observed approximately three times less frequently, primarily in the street art and sports discourses, where it accounts for 91.9% and 46.1% of cases, respectively.The study also examines whether the functions of English differ between monolingual and multilingual signs. The analysis shows that the informative function of English is more prominent in multilingual signs, while its symbolic function is more frequent in monolingual signs where English is the sole language. These findings suggest that English occupies a lingua franca role in Vilnius’s linguistic landscape. On the other hand, qualitative analysis shows that English is often influenced by the local Lithuanian language, both in its informative use and when chosen for its prestige, international appeal, or other symbolic powers.

TRANSLATION FEATURES OF EMERGENCY TERMS IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Translation of emergency terms is a crucial aspect of effective communication, especially in life-threatening situations where quick and accurate understanding of information is vital. This article explores the specific features of translating emergency terms from English into Uzbek and vice versa. It focuses on the linguistic, cultural, and practical challenges involved in the process. Special attention is given to terminological equivalence, morphological structures, and the impact of different socio-linguistic contexts on the interpretation of terms in emergency-related fields such as healthcare, disaster response, and law enforcement.

The Sociolinguistic Context of Multilingualism and Language Maintenance in a Border Suburb, Southwest Nigeria

This study observed the maintenance or otherwise of the languages in use in Saki, a border suburb in southwest, Nigeria. A total of 1200 questionnaires were administered at home, markets, schools, religious gatherings and offices and 1179 were retrieved. The theoretical framework adopted for the study is the Domain of Language Behaviour propounded by Fishman (1972). To find out the maintenance or otherwise of the languages in use in Saki, analyses of the pattern of language use in different domains were conducted. The result confirmed the words of some other previous scholars that the language situation of multilingual communities cannot be predicted as the result showed that despite the conglomeration of different languages in Saki, Yoruba the in-group language of the people extended its utility in all the domains of language use. The result showed that historical, cultural, and social factors contributed to the maintenance of Yoruba in this area. Other researchers should study sociolinguistic features such as code-mixing, code-switching and language variation in the selected border town, especially among the immigrants.

Analisis Komparatif Kosa Kata Gaul Generasi Z Dan Milenial Implikasi Sosialiguistik

This research analyzes the differences in slang vocabulary used by Generation Z and the Millennial Generation and their implications in a sociolinguistic context. Intergenerational differences in language use, especially slang, reflect cultural changes, technological developments and social dynamics that influence daily communication patterns. Using a qualitative approach and comparative methods, this research identifies variations in slang vocabulary and explores the factors that influence these differences. Data was collected through direct observation and interviews with representatives of each generation to understand their perceptions of slang. The research results show that there are significant variations in vocabulary, where Generation Z is more influenced by digital culture and social media, while Millennials tend to retain terms that developed from the popular culture of the 2000s. The sociolinguistic implications of these differences include aspects of identity, communication habits, and intergenerational relationships. It is hoped that this research will provide insight into language changes in urban society and its contribution to the development of sociolinguistics.

Overview of Hong Kong English and China English

Hong Kong English and China English are two different forms of regional variants of English. This paper provides a systematic overview of Hong Kong English and China English and explores their language characteristics, historical background, sociocultural influences, similarities and differences. The study aims to shed light on the complex nature of language contact, adaptation and variation in these regions. By examining the unique characteristics of Hong Kong English and China English, this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of language variation and the complexity of English as a global language in different sociolinguistic contexts.

ANALISIS PENGGUNAAN BAHASA JAKSEL PADA VIDEO BERJUDUL ‘LANGUAGE BARRIERS, CULTURE SHOCK & TCK IDENTITY CRISIS FT. MELLA CARLI’ DI YOUTUBE: KAJIAN SOSIOLINGUISTIK CAMPUR KODE

In the video "Language Barriers, Culture Shock &; TCK Identity Crisis ft. Mella Carli" on the YouTube channel "The Indah G Show," the use of the Jaksel (South Jakarta) language in sociolinguistic contexts is examined in this article. In order to comprehend how the host, Indah G, and her invited guest, Mella Carli, utilize Jaksel language in their interactions, this study employs a code-mixed sociolinguistic study approach. Analysis of the video's conversational content and transcription are part of the research methodology. The examination's findings demonstrated that Jaksel frequently utilized his language in casual talks, jokes, and professions of respect. In other cases where formality or clarity are required, mixed code using standard Indonesian is used. Identifying the social and cultural elements that support the usage of Jaksel language in this setting is another goal of this study.

The literal meaning of Slur

This research explores the complex and multifaceted nature of slurs within modern sociolinguistic contexts. The study aims to dissect the power dynamics embedded in these terms, examining how slurs function as instruments of social control, perpetuating stereotypes and reinforcing social hierarchies. Through a combination of qualitative analysis and case studies, this research investigates the historical origins, evolution, and contemporary usage of slurs across different cultures and communities. The findings reveal that slurs are not merely offensive words but are laden with historical and cultural significance, often reflecting broader societal attitudes towards race, gender, sexuality, and other identity markers. The study also considers the psychological impact of slurs on individuals and groups, demonstrating how these terms can inflict lasting emotional harm and contribute to a hostile social environment. In addition, the research addresses the phenomenon of reappropriation, where marginalized groups reclaim slurs as a form of empowerment and resistance. This process is analyzed to understand its potential in challenging and subverting the oppressive connotations traditionally associated with these terms. Ultimately, this paper underscores the importance of recognizing the deep-seated implications of slurs in everyday language and advocates for a more nuanced approach to addressing linguistic discrimination. The research concludes with recommendations for fostering more inclusive and respectful communication practices in diverse social settings.

Indexical deprivation: The dominant link between cochlear implants and global English among Taiwanese deaf individuals

AbstractThis paper develops the concept of “indexical deprivation” from the experiences of English learning in relation to cochlear implant use among Taiwanese deaf adults. Based on the framework of language ideological assemblage, this paper traces how institutional discourses and practices at different levels contribute to the indexicalization between cochlear implants and elevated proficiency in English as a global language. By examining the top‐down discourses and bottom‐up narratives of two Taiwanese deaf women, the study demonstrates how enhanced English proficiency has been linked to cochlear implants and how individuals are deprived of the capacity to recognize alternative links. This paper highlights how global English has promoted the status of cochlear implants in a sociolinguistic context where English is spoken as a foreign language and increasingly gains prominence at multiple societal levels.

Prescriptivist attempts at a spelling reform in Early Modern English: sociolinguistic and stylistic routes and rates of adoption

ABSTRACT Some late Renaissance scholars, like Smith (1568); Hart (1569; 1570); Bullokar (1580); Mulcaster (1582), attempted to reform English spelling to reflect the pronunciation changes resulting from the Great Vowel Shift. Their goal was to align letters and phonology by devising a more stable and predictable new system. This study explores the impact and diffusion of these spelling proposals. It examines texts from 1300 to 1700, written by authors from different socio-demographic and biological backgrounds, and across various genres, registers and text-types. The sources used as linguistic materials are the Innsbruck Corpus of Middle English Prose, an archival data source of prose pieces representing different genres from 1150 to 1500 and the Parsed Corpus of Early English Correspondence, a collection of 4,970 authored documents written from 1410 to 1681 by informants from different social ranks. This study may allow us to trace the sociolinguistic and stylistic route and rate of adoption (if any) followed by these attempts at reforming the English spelling system within processes of diffusion of linguistic innovations at the level of orthography, as well as to reconstruct the sociolinguistic contexts of language variation and change in past communities.

Exploring the Language Attitudes of Dual-Language Latine Preschoolers

This study examined the language attitudes of 60 Latine DLL preschoolers at the beginning and end of the school year. At each time point, a matched guise paradigm was used to elicit language attitudes, whereby children listened to speech samples from two puppets, one speaking Spanish and one speaking English, and were then asked a series of questions about the puppets. Results showed that children held language attitudes favoring English over Spanish, with the majority of children reporting that the English-speaking puppet was smarter, and that they liked the English-speaking puppet better than the Spanish-speaking puppet. Results suggest that language attitudes favoring the dominant language in society emerge earlier than previously thought, aligning with work about stereotype formation regarding other facets of identity, and reflecting the broader sociolinguistic context of Spanish and English status in the United States.

The Linguistic Landscape of Los Angeles Chinatowns

This paper presents a multi-level analysis of the signage in Los Angeles (LA) Chinatowns. Through a combined method of ethnographic observations, interviews and textual and visual analysis of language orthographies, the processes in which signage is designed, perceived, and interpreted are examined. A discussion of the range of interpretive readings of Chinese orthography and romanization is presented, with a focus on the relationship between the linguistic landscape and people’s language perception, and the changing social indexicalities of different linguistic variables displayed in LA Chinatowns. The paper concludes that the linguistic landscape can be taken as a form of informal language input which impacts Chinese immigrants’ language perception. Moreover, linguistic variables displayed on public signage not only contribute to the construction of the sociolinguistic context but also to the immigrants’ identity transformation.

The Linguistic Landscape of Los Angeles Chinatowns

This paper presents a multi-level analysis of the signage in Los Angeles (LA) Chinatowns. Through a combined method of ethnographic observations, interviews and textual and visual analysis of language orthographies, the processes in which signage is designed, perceived, and interpreted are examined. A discussion of the range of interpretive readings of Chinese orthography and romanization is presented, with a focus on the relationship between the linguistic landscape and people’s language perception, and the changing social indexicalities of different linguistic variables displayed in LA Chinatowns. The paper concludes that the linguistic landscape can be taken as a form of informal language input which impacts Chinese immigrants’ language perception. Moreover, linguistic variables displayed on public signage not only contribute to the construction of the sociolinguistic context but also to the immigrants’ identity transformation.

‘Tuesday, the mistress’: English relocalization by Vietnamese Facebook users

ABSTRACT Drawing on the concept of relocalization, this study explores the ways in which English, when going digital, is relocalized by Facebook users in Vietnam. The analysis of Facebook data reveals that English relocalization practices are manifest in the repetition of English words, transliteration of English proper names to Vietnamese morphosyntax and orthography, and hybridity between Vietnamese and English. This relocalization process results in new meaning twists, making them incomprehensible to English speakers from other World Englishes circles because English is deeply integrated and embedded into the Vietnamese language system and the local sociolinguistic context. The findings provide more evidence to support the arguments that English is part of the local language. The study also suggests that English relocalization creates a playful space on Facebook where Vietnamese speakers can express themselves freely as the use of Vietnamese words or phrases is considered pejorative and offensive in the local culture.

Young bilingual students' use of metacognitive strategies to overcome comprehension difficulties when reading in the foreign language

AbstractThis study investigates the use of metacognitive strategies by young emergent multilingual students in a translanguaging pedagogy scenario. From a multilingual perspective, we understand metacognition as a broader concept that refers to the learning or thinking processes that encapsulate metalinguistic and crosslinguistic awareness. We focus on the performance phase of the reading process where students deploy strategies and monitor the progress and quality of the activity. The participants were 48 bilingual fifth graders in a multilingual school in the Basque Autonomous Community in the north of Spain; 39.5% of the students had Basque as their first language, while 60.5% had Spanish, similar to the sociolinguistic context of the school, and all were learning English as a foreign language. Data for this study were collected in the English class while the students were set in pairs to complete a reading comprehension task. Their performance was audio‐recorded, and language‐related episodes were analysed to explore the strategic behaviour of the students. This analysis identified episodes where students talked about either their language production or language use. The findings show that although pedagogical translanguaging focuses mainly on raising crosslinguistic awareness, it can also develop a broader metalinguistic awareness and facilitate metacognitive reflection. The study highlights the link between enhancing metalinguistic awareness and the development of multilingual students' metacognitive knowledge for effective self‐regulated strategic behaviour when reading in a foreign language.

Non-participation and the stability of Dominant Language Constellation in contextual shifts: the case of a Hong Kong multilingual student

ABSTRACT This study explores how a multilingual Hong Kong student exercised agency to maintain a stable Dominant Language Constellation (DLC) amidst significant shifts in sociolinguistic contexts. Employing an intrinsic case study approach, the study collected data through interviews and written documents, which were then analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the multilingual student strategically managed his language use by compartmentalising Cantonese, Putonghua, and English into distinct domains, a practice he maintained consistently across different environments, including Hong Kong, Beijing, and Montreal. Key sources of his agency were identified, such as his self-conception as an introverted individual, parental influence, and the demands of his educational contexts. His strategic non-participation in social interactions helped him avoid linguistic discomfort and maintain psychological stability. This study contributes to the field of multilingualism by illustrating how agency can be manifested through deliberate non-participation and strategic language use, offering new insights into the dynamic interplay between individual agency and sociolinguistic environments.