Code-switching as an example of language choice Steve Nicolle (2013) Code-switching as an example of language choice Definition “Codeswitching is the term used to identify alternations of linguistic varieties within the same conversation... Utterances containing codeswitching show the same ‘discourse unity’ as utterances in one linguistic variety alone... The linguistic varieties participating in codeswitching may be different languages, or dialects or styles of the same language.” (Myers-Scotton 1993: 1–2) Example (Myers-Scotton 1993: 5) Setting: A Nairobi office Participants: Three young women from different ethnic groups (2 Luyia, 1 Luo) Matrix language: Swahili Embedded language: English (bold) 1 st Luyia woman: Hello guys. Shule zitafunguliwa lini? ‘Hello guys. When will the schools be opened?’ 2 nd Luyia woman: Na kweli, hata mimi si-ko sure, lakini n-a-suspect itakuwa week kesho. [I-PRES-suspect] ‘Well, even I am not sure, but I suspect it will be next week.’ Luo woman: Shule zi-ta-open tarehe tatu mwezi wa tano... [they-FUT-open] ‘Schools will open on the third of the fifth month...’ 2 nd Luyia woman: Nafikiri shule za primary na za secondary zitatangulia kufungua, lakini colleges na polytechnics zitakuwa za mwisho kufunguliwa. ‘I think primary and secondary schools will be the first to open, but colleges and polytechnics will be the last to open.’ Code-switching and code-mixing Code-switching is used in Sociolinguistics as a cover term for alternations of linguistic varieties between sentences (see the first line of the example above) and within sentences (see the rest of the example). In grammatical studies, alternation of linguistic varieties between sentences is called code-switching, and alternation within a sentence is called code-mixing. Reasons for code-switching Code-switching occurs for different reasons. Here we will distinguish 3 kinds of code-switching; these are not the only possible ways of categorizing code-switching, but they are quite useful in distinguishing the reasons which motivate them. The three kinds are unmarked code-switching (the usual language choice), situational code-switching (language choice motivated by a change of situation), and metaphorical code-switching (language choice motivated by a desire to change the power and/or solidarity relationship between speaker and hearer). Unmarked code-switching For some speakers, code-switching is their usual language choice. Such speakers use code- switching as a way of indicating a particular ‘dual’ identity. This type of code-switching is the