Sociolinguistic Profile Research Articles

Sociolinguistic Profiles and Second Language Acquisition of Diploma Students of Bihar

Sociolinguistic Profiles and Second Language Acquisition of Diploma Students of Bihar

The status and functions of English in contemporary Lebanon

AbstractThis paper is a descriptive case study of the status and functions of English in contemporary Lebanon. It consults archival research (primary and secondary sources), firsthand observations, and governmental artifacts for data collection purposes. I use such data to portray the spread of English in various domains of use and build an evidence‐based argument about the relationship between policy making/implementation and its effects on local users for practicing agency in promoting the status of English. The paper includes a sociohistorical overview of the Lebanese context and discusses findings in relation to the uses of English, the role of educational institutions in enforcing language policies, and users’ interactions with language policy and planning. The sociolinguistic profiling of English in Lebanon facilitates a unique analysis of a multifaceted argument in favor of linguistic pragmatism over linguistic colonialism for institutionalizing the uses and functions of English in an Arabic speaking country.

English in Turkey

AbstractIt has been repeatedly noted in the literature that most world Englishes research focuses on Outer Circle countries, while studies on Expanding Circle countries, especially those in South America, Europe, and the Middle East, have been few and far between. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to provide a sociolinguistic profile of English in Turkey, thereby contributing to the growing literature on Expanding Circle countries. In this sociolinguistic profile, following a brief description of the country, I present the users and uses of English in the Turkish context, as well as discuss the attitudes of Turkish language learners towards English.

English in Vietnam

AbstractOver the past few decades, English has emerged as a lingua franca and the dominant foreign language in the fast developing and populous society of Vietnam, placing the country in the center of the Expanding Circle. This paper presents a sociolinguistic profile of English in Vietnam following Berns’ framework. The profile begins with a demographic description and defines how Vietnam can be considered part of the Expanding Circle. We discuss the functional distributions of English in Vietnam by (i) chronicling its instrumental function from Chinese domination in Vietnam in 111 BC until recent years, (ii) detailing its administrative function before and after the country's Economic Reforms of the 1990s, (iii) revealing its interpersonal function in contemporary Vietnamese society; and (iv) illustrating how English borrowings and nativizations are used in the media. We conclude with a discussion of Vietnamese learners’ attitudes towards English learning and different English varieties.

Expanding on Englishes: A symposium

AbstractIn this Symposium entitled ‘Expanding on Englishes’, four contributors discuss the sociolinguistic profiles of lesser‐known countries from a world Englishes perspective. The contributions for this symposium describe the Englishes of Iran, Nepal, Turkey, and Vietnam. These four accounts of the social and linguistic features of English in these countries highlight the challenges of identifying these (and other such) countries as either Inner or Outer Circle territories. This realization indicates that broadening our understanding of the complexities of the diffusion, status, and roles of English requires the importance of nuanced use and interpretation of long‐relied upon criteria.

English in Nepal

AbstractThis paper presents a sociolinguistic profile of contemporary Nepal, with particular reference to the status and functions of English in Nepali society. Nepal has been said to belong to the Expanding Circle, as English has traditionally had no official status there, although the language has been playing significant economic, educational, and social roles in society, in similar fashion to an Outer Circle variety of English. The use of English has increasingly spread in various domains of society, including education. This paper begins by providing an overview of Nepal and its cultural, linguistic and social dynamics, and by discussing the history of English in Nepal from the 17th century to date. It then proceeds to discuss the users and uses of English in contemporary society, documenting how the interpersonal, instrumental, administrative, and creative/innovative functions, along with linguistic adaptation and innovation, are manifested in the society.

Greek as Second Language: Designing tailor made teaching material for teenagers with refugee/migrant background

The aim of this paper is to describe all faces of designing educational material tailored to the communicative needs of a teenager with refugee/migrant background, in order to assist her/his learning Greek as second language. Hence, this essay has two main parts: In the first part can be found the theoretical background of the importance of the learners’ sociolinguistic profile as a means of identifying their personalized educational needs and the particular role of their parents as an influencing factor, along with the preconditions of an effectively designed educational material for second language learners. In the second part, a particular case is presented: First, the research data of two semistructured interviews and identity texts and the inferred sociolinguistic profile of a 14 year old refugee girl, attending the Reception Class (ZEP I) in a Greek public High School in Athens. Then, the educational material produced for a tailor-made one hour lesson, along with the reasoning of the selected content and language activities. Finally, some generalizing suggestions for further use of this educational research procedure into language teaching towards multi-lingualizing the classroom.

Português Língua de Herança: motivações e perfil sociolinguístico dos falantes de PLH inscritos no curso de PLE nível elementar na Universidade de Milão

Abstract – In the Italian higher education system, the Portuguese language is generally studied by Italian native speakers without prior knowledge of Portuguese, in courses designed for Foreign Language Learners (FLL). However, we may occasionally find that students enrolled have some kind of heritage connection to the Portuguese language, making it necessary to adapt methodologies, contents and materials in order to address the needs of these Heritage Language Learners (HLL) and value their presence in these mixed classes. From our point of view, course design and teaching should therefore take into account both the motivations for learning Portuguese and the sociolinguistic profile of these HLL. This paper presents and discusses the results of a research conducted in a mixed class at the University of Milan aimed at determining 1) the motivations for learning Portuguese of FLL and HLL groups and 2) the Portuguese HLL sociolinguistic profile. In other words, we aim to understand, from a Language Teaching approach, the motivations and the linguistic and cultural identity of these HLL through their own views. Data for this study was collected through two surveys of Portuguese HLL (n=8) and Portuguese FLL/HLL (n=66) enrolled in the academic year 2017/2018. As we adopt, due to the nature of this research, a more sociolinguistic oriented definition of HLL, we present an opening chapter devoted to the discussion about the definitions of Heritage Language. Lastly, we point some preliminary considerations about our experience in a Portuguese FLL and HLL mixed class.

Language use, language attitudes and identity in the East Timorese diaspora in the Netherlands

ABSTRACTThis paper investigates language practices, language attitudes and identity belongings of East Timorese in the Netherlands. Data were gathered through a limited orally conducted sociolinguistic questionnaire and two in-depth interviews on the sociolinguistic trajectories of our participants. The questionnaire shows that second-generation East Timorese all shifted to Dutch. Also the first generation shifted to Dutch and many in addition acquired mainly English and some Portuguese, Spanish or Polish. They did, however, not lose their home languages (mainly Tetum and Indonesian) with the exception of some regional languages (that are, however, still used on social media). Irrespective of the importance of Dutch in their day-to-day language practices, participants reported Tetum to be their most preferred and used language and the language of their East Timorese identity. The in-depth interviews show that the ensemble of linguistic resources of the East Timorese in the Netherlands constitutes the community of practice and knowledge they are part of. Their individual choices from these repertoires, irrespective of how they were acquired and irrespective of their proficiency, constitute their sociolinguistic profile. In this profile Tetum no doubt played and still plays a major role as the main language of East Timorese identity.

Actitudes y competencias docentes en profesores de español de los Institutos Federais (Brasil) en relación con las variedades de la lengua

<p>With the intention of studying the reality of the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language in Brazil and its different varieties, 25 teachers who work at the Institutos Federais from the states of Rio Grande do Norte and Roraima have answered a thorough questionnaire. Thanks to their answers we can, both generally speaking and as teachers, define their sociolinguistic profiles in relation to their training, prejudices, beliefs and attitudes towards variation and varieties within the Spanish language. After analyzing all the collected information, we have come to observed a complex landscape of training deficits, sensitivities, attitudes, teaching approaches and needs that make necessary a profound reflection and the consequent involvement of the academic authorities at issue, as well as the cooperation of other actors involved in the realm of Spanish-FL.</p>

The Kachruvian connection and English language teaching in the Philippines

AbstractThe non‐native speakers as teachers of English hold a key role in teaching a language which is the world's most taught, learned and used second or foreign language. With this current global context of English, Philippine ELT has to reflect on the ‘curricula of teacher training programs, in the methodology of teaching, in understanding the sociolinguistic profile of the language, and in cross‐cultural awareness’ the implications of the internationalization of English (Kachru, 1992, p. 355). This paper argues that while Professor Kachru sounded the call for the modification of ELT practices decades ago, ELT practitioners in the Philippines have yet to fully come to terms to a shift in the teaching paradigm of English that necessitates a change in the way non‐standard features of the language are perceived and how teaching methods should be modified to match the current reality of English as an international language.

The Application of Forensic Linguistics in Cybercrime Investigations

Abstract Forensic linguistics is the application of linguistic knowledge and theory to forensic, legal, or criminal contexts. This article sets out some of the ways the forensic linguists can and do contribute to cybercrime investigations, as well as indicating how a basic knowledge of linguistics can be of use to investigators. This article introduces both investigative and evidentiary applications, including comparative authorship analysis, sociolinguistic profiling, and the determination of meaning. Through a discussion of casework and research this article aims to increase awareness and provide an introduction into the field of forensic linguistics, and its potential applications within the field of cybercrime. This article will focus on native language influence detection as an example of an area of forensic linguistic research and methodology that can be applied in cybercrime casework, discussing both the research and its findings, and demonstrating potential application.

Universo discursivo dos textos do “Massacre de Realengo”: por uma ampliação da noção de perfil sociolinguístico em contextos forenses

O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar alguns textos encontrados pela polícia durante a investigação do que ficou conhecido como “Massacre de Realengo” (ocorrido no Rio de Janeiro em 2011), focalizando a recorrência semântica como “criadora” do efeito de sentido de pertencimento do enunciador a um determinado “grupo social”, que aqui denominaremos “universo discursivo”. Com isso, pretende-se discutir a ideia de “grupo social” no âmbito da sociolinguística e suas implicações para a elaboração de perfis sociolinguísticos em contextos forenses, propondo a ampliação desta noção e incluindo o exame do nível discursivo nos moldes da semiótica greimasiana no rol de possíveis procedimentos de análise, principalmente em textos curtos e em que não seja possível um estudo de variáveis linguísticas nos moldes da sociolinguística. A pergunta que se coloca é: como determinar algum grupo social em que se insere o autor dos textos sob exame, para se selecionar ou “desselecionar” suspeitos quando esses textos são em geral curtos e não apresentam variáveis linguísticas suficientes para que se estabeleçam categorias sociais com confiança? A hipótese é que a recorrência semântica aponte para algum grupo social, não necessariamente demográfico, mas uma espécie de “comunidade discursiva” ou “rede discursiva”, que compartilhe as mesmas práticas, valores, ideologias, etc., e que seja depreendida dos textos.

Sanzhi–Russian code switching and the Matrix Language Frame model

Purpose: The study represents the first attempt to analyze intrasentantial code switching in an indigenous language from the Caucasus (the Nakh- Daghestanian language Sanzhi Dargwa) in contact with Russian. It also tests borrowing/code switching hierarchies that target parts of speech. Methodology: The study applies the Matrix Language Frame model developed by Myers-Scotton to data from Sanzhi. Data and analysis: The analyzed data consist of around 6,000 tokens of natural texts (monologues) produced by six male speakers and recorded in the main settlement of the Sanzhi speech community in Daghestan (Russian Federation). The original data are compared to published data from other languages in contact with Russian. The Sanzhi data are analyzed by means of the Matrix Language Frame model, focusing on intraclausal code switching. Findings: The Sanzhi data can largely be analyzed within the Matrix Language Frame model, confirming thus the ‘Uniform Structure Principle’ posed by Myers-Scotton. However, there are also a few instances of code switching in which embedded language and matrix language cannot be identified, which prevents application of the model. Furthermore, the study replicated findings on borrowing/code switching hierarchies for parts of speech, that is, the preference for insertions of nouns and other parts of speech from the open classes in comparison with the relative scarcity of inserted pronouns or adpositions (closed classes). Originality: This is the first attempt to apply the Matrix Language Frame model to code switching between a Caucasian language and Russian and constitutes a new approach to the study of language contact in the Caucasus and, more generally, to the impact on Russian of minority languages in the Russian Federation. Implications: The results suggest that the Matrix Language Frame model could also be applied to other languages in contact with Russian and with a similar sociolinguistic profile, such as Sanzhi.

Indigenous Students Learning English in Higher Education: What Are the Challenges?

The increasing enforcement of English language policies in higher education represents a significant challenge for indigenous students entering Colombian universities. Researchers in this study worked on a sociolinguistic profile of over 300 indigenous students at Universidad de Antioquia and, from a critical decolonial perspective, aimed to understand the multiple views and challenges these students face in relation to their identities, languages, academic literacies, and the most recent institutional language policy that requires them to learn English to earn their university degrees. Data collection methods included several institutional databases, a survey, interviews, and conversation circles. Results from this study suggest that more equitable pedagogical principles coupled with a more sensitive and effective appropriation and implementation of this type of reform in higher education institutions are both necessary. These measures would prevent that learning English for indigenous students becomes an obstacle to complete their tertiary education in conditions of justice, respect, and a real validation of their ancestral languages, cultures, and knowledge.

A sociolinguistic profile of English in Lebanon

ABSTRACTThis article provides an overview of the historical presence of foreign languages in Lebanon, focusing on language contact from the eighteenth century to date. Through sociolinguistic profiling, the paper describes the users and uses of English, as well as Lebanese attitudes towards English. The article begins by offering a general overview of the country, its languages and cultures, and its ethnic and religious groups. It presents a description of users of English along with a characterization of how the interpersonal, instrumental, regulative, and innovative functions of the language are manifested, while the final section of the article discusses attitudes to English in Lebanese society.

The role of emotions and positionality in the trajectories of ‘new speakers’ of Irish

Aims and Objectives/Purpose/Research Questions: The aim of this paper is to describe and analyse the emotional experiences and positionality of ‘new speakers’ of Irish, fluent and regular speakers who were not raised with Irish in the historical Irish-speaking heartland known as the Gaeltacht. The role of emotions in facilitating the transition to new speakerhood is considered, as is their influence on the speakers’ continued use of Irish and on their positionality in relation to other speakers. Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper is based on semi-structured narrative interviews conducted with participants identified as active and competent new speakers of Irish. It is part of a larger European project on the topic of new speakers. Data and Analysis: The sample size is 46 interviews from a database of 100 Irish speakers and was analysed using NVivo qualitative analysis. Findings/Conclusions: Becoming a new speaker of Irish is a deeply emotional process, both before and after the transition, as subjects grapple with additional obstacles to acquisition and use due to the language’s minoritised status. The emotions involved in adopting a minoritised language such as Irish appear to be qualitatively different from other languages because of the additional obstacles involved in mastering a language with a weak sociolinguistic profile. Originality: The paper’s originality stems from the fact that it is the first systematic study of emotions and positionality among new speakers of Irish and is distinct from existing quantitative studies of language attitudes. An additional innovation is its theoretical framework which aims to guide understanding of emotions and positionality among new speakers of minoritised languages in particular rather than majority languages in general. Significance/Implications: The paper is theoretically significant because existing work on language and emotions has not focused on minoritised languages. Significance attaches to the related finding that the emotional process is not the same for minoritised languages and other more dominant languages.

Uncovering the Hidden Dimension of Global Business English Proficiency: A Fractal Analysis

This study used the fractal statistical analysis to explain the Business English proficiency of 137,000 employees in multinational companies across 77 countries. Using the Global Business English Index (BEI) in 2013, this study compared and contrasted the natural and the normal states of English proiciency in three contexts of English use following the Kachruvian model: English as a Mother Tongue (EMT), English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL); and subsequently, described the local characteristics of these countries to account for the fractal deviation. The results revealed that countries such as Bulgaria, Singapore, India, Sweden, Finland, and Belgium and the Philippines deviated from the natural state with BEIs of 6.076 to 6.575 (Basic Proficiency) and 7.95 (Intermediate Proficiency) respectively. The fractal variation could be attributed to two local characteristics of these countries: the sociolinguistic profile of the test takers and the provision of language training in multinational companies.Keywords: Business English Index, Business English Proficiency, fractal dimension, language proficiency

Book Review: South Pacific Englishes: A Sociolinguistic and Morphosyntactic Profile of Fiji English, Samoan English and Cook Islands English

Book Review: South Pacific Englishes: A Sociolinguistic and Morphosyntactic Profile of Fiji English, Samoan English and Cook Islands English

UN ESTUDIO DE LAS ACTITUDES LINGÜÍSTICAS EN LOS ESCOLARES DEL PRINCIPADO DE ANDORRA

Abstract.A STUDY ON THE LANGUAGE ATTITUDES OF THE STUDENTS IN THE PRINCIPALITY OF ANDORRAFrom the direct relationship between language attitudes and language competences emerges the necessity of a good knowledge of the former if the long term aim is to improve the latter. This generally valid assertion seems even more obvious in the context of the European microstates, as they are more sensitive to the dynamics of a significantly reduced population. Such is the case of Andorra, characterized by a multilingual sociolinguistic context and an education design in accordance with that sociolinguistic profile. This study presents a quantitative analysis of the data collected through a questionnaire of language use and language attitudes conducted on 208 students (15-16 years old) in the 4th grade of Compulsory Secondary Education of the Escola Andorrana, Andorra’s public education system. The languages ??thoroughly analyzed in the questionnaire are Catalan (the official language), Castilian, French, English, Portuguese, and the mother tongues of the immigrant groups. The results obtained so far show clearly favorable attitudes of the students toward Catalan and English, results that are somewhat predictable in both cases, given the official status of the first one and the international importance of the second one. The generalized neutral attitudes toward French were surprising, as it is the language of instruction throughout the Primary and Secondary Education of Escola Andorrana. Finally, it must be stated that Portuguese, along with other languages present ??in the country received the least favorable evaluations.Keywords: Language attitudes, immigration, multilingualism, Principality of AndorraResumen.La relación directa entre actitudes lingüísticas y competencia lingüística hace necesario un buen conocimiento de las primeras si el objetivo, a largo plazo, es mejorar las segundas. Si dicha aserción resulta cierta en general, aún parece más evidente en el contexto de los microestados europeos, siendo más sensibles como son a las dinámicas de una población marcadamente reducida. Este es el caso del Principado de Andorra, caracterizado por un panorama sociolingüístico multilingüe, y por un mapa educativo en consonancia con dicho perfil sociolingüístico. El presente estudio muestra un análisis cuantitativo de los datos recogidos mediante un cuestionario de usos y actitudes lingüísticas con 208 alumnos (15-16 años de edad) de 4º curso de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria de la Escola Andorrana, sistema educativo público en Andorra. Las lenguas analizadas en detalle en el cuestionario son el catalán (lengua oficial del país), el castellano, el francés, el inglés, el portugués, así como las lenguas propias de los colectivos de origen inmigrante. Los resultados obtenidos hasta el momento muestran unas actitudes claramente favorables de los escolares hacia el catalán y el inglés, algo previsible en ambos casos, visto el estatus oficial de la primera y la relevancia internacional de la segunda. Sorprenden las actitudes neutras generalizadas respecto del francés, a pesar de ser lengua de instrucción a lo largo de las etapas de enseñanza primaria y secundaria de Escola Andorrana. Por último, cabe destacar que el portugués, junto con el resto de lenguas presentes en el país, recibe las valoraciones menos favorables.Palabras clave: Actitudes lingüísticas, inmigración, multilingüismo, Principado de Andorra