Article published In:
Spanish in ContextVol. 19:2 (2022) ► pp.289–313
Mixing Catalan, English and Spanish on WhatsApp
A case study on language choice and code-switching
The purpose of this study is to examine language choice, language alternation and code-switching practices in
Instant Messaging (IM). Specifically, this article presents the results from an analysis of the written conversations of a
specific community formed by Valencian adults fluent in English. Taking a computer-mediated, discourse-centred ethnographic
approach to online discourse, the study has shown that, in this specific trilingual online community of language teachers,
language choice and the choice of a specific written variety is intimately related to audience. The group members mix Catalan,
English and Spanish regularly, their language choice and code-switching strategies serving to establish in-group solidarity,
familiarity and lessen face-threatening acts. Switches to English, sometimes followed by a switch to Catalan, are usually employed
for humorous word play. Interestingly, the case study exemplifies how the use of a certain language may be highly correlated to
ideological and political considerations.
Keywords: sociolinguistics, Computer-mediated Communication, Instant Messaging, language choice, language-mixing phenomena, linguistic creativity
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Theoretical background: Revisiting some concepts
- 2.1Catalan and Spanish in Valencia
- 3.The case study
- 3.1Participants
- 3.2Corpus
- 3.3Methodology
- 4.Results and their interpretation
- 5.Conclusion
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
-
References
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