Parental attitudes toward code-switching and observed language input

By Orsolya Bilgory-Fazakas (Bar-Ilan University) & Sharon Armon-Lotem (Bar-Ilan University)

Please upgrade to a browser that supports HTML5 video or install Flash.Bilgory-Fazakas_Armon-Lotem_Parental-attitudes-toward-code-switching-and-observed-language-input-i2-yf0.jpg

Children typically acquire their heritage language (HL) based on parental input. In heritage context the input is likely to include code-switching. An investigation of parental code-switching among heritage speakers is expected to shed light on children’s linguistic behaviour. The present study examines the language behaviour of first-generation immigrants (Hungarian-speaking Israelis) who maintain their HL (Hungarian) at home. The focus is on the examination of the code-switches that occur in the parental HL input of the second generation. Fifty parents functionally bi-or multilinguals who use their HL (Hungarian) the Societal Language (Hebrew) and English in their everyday life filled an online questionnaire. Their children are second generation HL speakers. The questionnaire (based on Dörnyei Z. Csizér 2002) addressed multiple aspects of HL use identity and motivation. The current study uses answers regarding attitudes toward code switching and transmission of the HL. The results of the questionnaires showed a strong correlation between the importance of HL use in the parent-child conversation and the parental expectation that the child speaks in HL only (r=0.604 p<.001) and between the degree of code-switches in the children’s speech and the parents’ tendency to correct them (r=0.469 p<.00001). Furthermore sociolinguistic interviews were carried out with ten parents who also filled in the questionnaire in their children’s presence. Due to the physical limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic interviews were carried out via Zoom. They were asked to rate on a Likert scale to what extent they accepted Hebrew code-switching in a Hungarian conversation. The correlation between the participants' acceptance of code-switching and number of code-switches in their own speech was significant (r=0.6129 p < .004). The study has identified numerous inter-lingual lexical manifestations in the speech of parents most of which involved intra-sentential switches where a nominal element was inserted into the sentence and the HL vowel harmony rule was applied.Milyen húgra mész hetente kétszer?Mijɛn hu:gra me:s hɛtɛntɛ ke:tsɛrWhich after-school-program-SUBLATIVE go-2SG-PRESENT week twiceWhich after-school programme do you go to twice a week?Institutional terminology was also used in the Societal Language recalling the associations with the original setting and allowing the speaker to transmit the image of that setting into the actual conversation (Matras 2009). Often code-switches that referred to Israeli culture and their personal history of immigration and experiences occurred as they do not have a translation equivalent in Hungarian.kibucban lakunkkibut͡sbɒn lɒkunkKibutz-INESSIVE live-1PL-PRESENTWe live in a kibbutzDue to the phonological adaptation of code-switches the Hebrew words (e.g. xug kibuc) are integrated into the Hungarian matrix language using Hungarian morphological markings (e.g. húgra kibucban) and the code-switches are morphologically and syntactically integrated into the spoken HL. Further research is necessary to examine the inter-lingual lexical manifestations in the speech of bilingual second-generation speakers.

View slides here.

published icon

Published: Wednesday, April 21, 2021