Теория языка | Филологический аспект №5 (49) Май 2019

Теоретические положения о процессе переключении кода в современной контактной лингвистике

Арбузова Наталия Васильевна
Старший преподаватель, КФУ им. В.И. Вернадского, Институт иностранной филологии, Кафедра иностранных языков № 1
Кушнарёва Светлана Евгеньевна
преподаватель, КФУ им. В.И. Вернадского, Институт иностранной филологии, Кафедра иностранных языков № 1, kushnarevasv92@gmail.com

Аннотация: Целью статьи является определение специфики переключения языковых кодов в речи билингвов. Актуальность работы обусловлена необходимостью исследования взаимодействия языковых систем в рамках дальнейшего изучения научного направления социальной лингвистики. Предметом исследования является процесс «code-switching», проявляющийся в речевом поведении коммуникантов, владеющих разными языками, в зависимости от ситуации общения. Цель предусматривает решение следующих задач: дать определение понятию «переключение языковых кодов», рассмотреть теоретические предпосылки возникновения лингвистического явления, классифицировать виды «code-switching» в зависимости от функциональной направленности, провести анализ проявления переключения языковых кодов в контексте билингвизма. В результате решения поставленных задач были сделаны следующие выводы: 1) переключение кодов происходит вследствие отсутствия в исходной лингво-культурной общности аналогичного предмета или явления с соответствующим ему наименованием; 2) изменение языкового кода происходит с целью достижения взаимопонимания между коммуникантами и успешного проведения процесса общения; 3) кодовое изменение происходит при условии владения говорящим обоими языками на одинаковом уровне, с целью исключения ошибок в речи; 4) резкая смена языковых единиц происходит на любом из уровней лингвистической системы (фонологическом, морфологическом или синтаксическом).
Ключевые слова: переключение языкового кода, билингвизм, социолингвистика, вариативность, ассимиляция

Arbuzova N.V.
senior lecturer, Crimean V.I. Vernadsky Federal University, Institute of Foreign Philology, Chair of Foreign languages №1
Kushnaryova S.E.
lecturer, Crimean V.I. Vernadsky Federal University, Institute of Foreign Philology, Chair of Foreign languages №1

Abstract: The purpose of the article is to determine the specifics of switching language codes in the speech of bilinguals. The relevance of the work is due to the need to study the interaction of the modern languages’ systems of in the further study of the scientific direction of social linguistics. The subject of the research is the process of ‘code-switching’, which is manifested in the verbal behavior of communicators who speak two or more languages, depending on the communication situation. The main aim of the article is to solve the following tasks: to define the notion of ‘switching language codes’, to consider the theoretical background of a linguistic phenomenon, to classify types of ‘code-switching’ depending on the functional orientation, to analyze the manifestation of switching language codes in the context of bilingualism. As a result of the solution of the tasks set, the following conclusions were made: 1) the switching of codes occurs due to the lack of a similar subject or phenomenon with the corresponding name in the initial linguistic and cultural community; 2) the change of the language code occurs in order to achieve mutual understanding between communicators and the successful conduct of the process of communication; 3) a code change occurs under the condition that the speaker speak both languages at the same level, in order to eliminate errors in speech; 4) abrupt change of language units occurs at any level of the linguistic system (phonological, morphological or syntactic).
Keywords: language code switching, bilingualism, sociolinguistics, variability, assimilation

The current stage of the sociolinguistic direction development in terms of bilingual speech variability research is characterized by an increased interest on the part of scientists to the problem of the influence of linguistic and extralinguistic factors on the choice of elements of the recipient language made by an informant in a certain communicative situation. At the same time, in the process of oral communication at any level of the language system, full conscious / unconscious transition of the speaker from one language to another occurs, implying a change in the general structure of the individual's speech flow due to the switching of language codes (code-switching).

It is assumed that the phenomenon of code switching was first described at the phonetic level in the 1949 scientific paper ‘Co-existent Phonemic Systems’ by American linguists Charles C. Fries and Kenneth L. Pike [6], who indicated the possibility of two or more phonemic systems co-existence in one and the same individual's speech.

Norwegian scientist H. Vogt, inspired by the ideas of U. Weinreich's in his work ‘Languages ​​in Contact’ (1979) [7, p.36], suggested that code switching should be regarded as a separate linguistic phenomenon that emerged at the junction of psychology, sociology and pragmatics. Exploring the phenomenon of variability, E. Haugen [5], talked about the formation of a two-sided ‘constant continuum’, that consisted of partially-assimilated formations in the native / source language (interference), as well as structures of any level of the secondary / system fully integrated into the native / source language primary language (code switching).

In this regard, it is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of ‘interference’ and ‘code switching’, the main difference of which is the degree and completeness of the transformation of the forms of one language under the influence of another, implemented at different levels of the language system (partial modification or complete change).

L.P. Krysin in his work ‘Code Switches as a Component of Human Speech Behavior’  (2000) emphasized the possibility of ensuring mutual understanding between communicators and the relative stability of the speech communication process due to the integration of the phonological, grammatical, syntactic and lexical elements of one language into another. It is stated that ‘a true culture of verbal communication implies the ability of participants in communication to code switches’[1].

A significant contribution into the development of the general theory and practical results of language code switching was also made by R. Jakobson, A.D. Schweitzer, W. Labov, V.V. Vinogradov, whose works define the specifics, classification, features of the implementation of code switching in the process of communication between people who speak two or more languages, and also characterize the functional aspect of this linguistic phenomenon.

According to the sociolinguistic studies of the last decades in the field of language code switching, the elements change in the speech structure of bilinguals at the moment of real communication occurs under the influence of a number of external factors on the communicants: the situation, the environment, the conditions of communication, and the speaker’s social role. In other words, from the point of view of pragmatics, this phenomenon can be characterized by the construction proposed by J. A. Fishman ‘who speaks, what language,  to whom and when’ [3].

Being an interdisciplinary direction in the study of bilingual language and speech, associated with such areas of scientific knowledge and practice as linguistics, psycholinguistics, pragmatics, structuralism, sociology, psychology, minimalism, language switching codes has many different kinds of classifications presented in the works of foreign scientists N. Chomsky , K. Becker, S. Poplak, E. Wolford, H. Halmar, Sh. Poplak, J. Lipsky, G. Belazzi, K. Myers-Scotton, J. Scarborough, M. Klein, D. Maxvon, etc.

It is known that the founder of the theory of interlingual relations is rightly considered to be U. Weinreich, whose research in the field of the causes and manifestations of linguistic heterogeneity and speech variability in a real communication situation led to the following universal classification of the language code switching phenomenon [7, p.39]:

– external, extralinguistic (‘on the spot’ – ‘immediately’; representatives – K. Becker, A. Centella, N. Kamvangamalu, etc.) and sociolinguistic (representatives – D. Gumpertz, J.-P. Bloom, M. Heller, and others);

– internal, psycholinguistic (‘in the head’ – ‘mentally’; representatives – K. Becker, F. Rozien, P. Kollers, D. Lipsky, etc.);

– linguistic (‘out of the mouth’ – ‘oral’; representative – K. Becker); grammatical (representatives – S. Poplak, K. Myers-Scotton, P. Misken); syntactic (representatives – M.-B.Hansen, R. Butt, D. Clavans); structural (representatives – S. Sridhar,  K. Sridhar).

It is considered appropriate to trace the features of the switching of language codes determined by the sociolinguistic factor, since studies of the variability of this type make it possible to analyze and identify the reasons for switching of language codes in the individual's speech flow from the point of view of a rather wide context of using language units a) representatives of a particular social group; b) under certain environmental conditions; c) in a certain situation of communication.

It is reported that the consideration of code switching in the studies of social linguistics occurs at the macro level (general) and micro level (particular), and is also based on the so-called ‘role theory’ developed by an American scientist D. Bell in 1965 [4].

The macro level is characterized by code switching in the speech behavior of bilinguals within the framework of linguistic community; there is a description of the functions of the language in various situations of communication in a multilingual society and is determined by the choice of language in the situation of communication. The macroscopic level of the language sociology is oriented towards the social and psychological aspects of the use of the linguistic variant in a multilingual society, taking into account the specifics of the social sphere of its application. American researchers Ch. A. Ferguson (the concept of ‘diglossia’) and J. Fishman (the analysis of ‘domains’) were engaged in the development of this level of code switching functioning.

Undoubtedly, depending on the social situation, the communication participants have different ranks in the production hierarchy, which makes it possible to speak about the ‘role theory’.

In this regard, the scientists J.-P. Bloom, J.J. Gumperz in 1972 [2] first proposed code switching analysis at the micro level, determined the features of changing codes in the situational (changing the communicative situation) and metaphorical (achieving a certain communicative effect) aspects. The microscopic implementation level of code switching is determined by assessing the influence of extra-linguistic factors on the language and speech of small groups of informants or individuals in a certain communication situation, chosen as the object of study.

In conclusion it should be noted that the variability of language and speech must be considered not only in an extra-linguistic aspect with an emphasis on the social side of the language, but also at the level of morphological, phonetic and syntactic paradigms, as a result of which relations between language systems are revealed upon their contact.

Due to the constant switching of codes in the process of systematic and simultaneous use of two languages ​​in the informant’s speech, the boundaries and differences of the codes used in the native / source language are erased and cross-language interference occurs at the segmental level.

Thus, while interference mainly reflects the relationship between language systems during their contact, the code switching process is associated with the very situation of bilingualism, which proves the possibility of parallel manifestation of the mentioned linguistic phenomena in bilingual speech and their complementarity.

1. Bell D. / The Coming of Post-Industrial Society/ D. Bell. – New York: Basic Books, 1999. – pp. x–xi, xiv, xv–xvii.
2. Bloom J.-P. / Social meaning in linguistic structure: code-switching in Norway / J.-P. Bloom, J.J. Gumperz // Li W. (ed.) The Bilingualism Reader. L.: Routledge. – P. 11-136, 2000
3. Fishman J.A. / Who Speaks What Language to Whom and When? / J.A. Fishman. – Published by: Presses Universitaires de France. – La Linguistique. – Vol. 1, Fasc. 21965. – pp. 67-88
4. Fries C.C. / Co-existent Phonemic Systems / C.C. Fries, K.L. Pike– Language. – XXV, 1949
5. Haugen E. / The Norwegian Language in America: A Study in Bilingual Behavior / E. Haugen, 1953 (ISBN 0-253-34115-9)
6. Krysin L.P. / Code Switches as a Component of Human Speech Behavior / L.P. Krysin. – Speech communication: specialized messenger. – Vol. 3 (11). – Krasnoyarsk, 2000. – p. 61-64)
7. Weinreich U. Language Contacts: Status and Research Issues: Trans. from English. / U. Weinreich. – Kiev: Vishcha school. Publishing house at Kiev university, 1979. – p. 36-39