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Article published In:
Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada/Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics
Vol. 36:1 (2023) ► pp.204–233

Constructing identity through code choice and code-switching

Evidence from multilingual Muslim women in Barcelona

ORCID logo | DePauw University

With the presence of Catalan, Spanish, and a variety of migrant languages, multilingualism in Catalonia extends across the region and is a regular practice for native-born and migrant residents alike. This study examines language use and its relationship to identity construction among first and second-generation Muslim women immigrants in Barcelona. Data was collected from 34 female informants in Barcelona, all of whom identified as first or second-generation Muslim. Data consisted of questionnaires and interviews which were designed to learn about the informants’ linguistic background as well as the extent to which they used Spanish, Catalan and their native/heritage language(s). As a further case study, specific instances of code-switching among the South Asian Urdu-speaking informants were examined. Results point to a generational divide in terms of domains of use. However, informants demonstrated a greater tendency towards multilingual language use rather than restricting themselves to single language use in specific domains, a reflection of informants’ self-reported code-switching practices, which were found to be a widely accepted communicative tool that serves an array of socio-pragmatic functions.

Keywords: multilingualism, code-switching, Catalonia, language use, migrant languages
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Language ideology and policy
  • 3.Immigrant languages in Catalonia
    • 3.1Migration in Catalonia
    • 3.2Language maintenance and attitudes among immigrant populations
    • 3.3Negotiation of immigrant identity
    • 3.4Code-switching
  • 4.Present study
    • 4.1Methodology
      • 4.1.1Informants
      • 4.1.2Instruments
    • 4.2Results
      • 4.2.1Domains of use
      • 4.2.2Code-switching
    • 4.3Discussion and Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 2 March 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/resla.20015.ali
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