This case study presents the language life history of an American woman of Mexican descent. The informant describes the ways in which her two languages, English and Spanish, developed and have been used throughout her life. She narrates how living with two languages has affected her in each period of her life. The informant's language life history provides insight into the ways in which immigrants who come to the United States live and adapt to a new country, culture, and language. The informant's narrative is a testimony of a person divided between two languages and two cultures. The methods used to elaborate the informant's language life history were ethnographic interviewing, observing, and event/network analysis. This language life history will promote understanding of issues such as bilingualism and its relationship to immigration in the United States, language maintenance or loss, language shift, and language choice and use. In the area of Teaching English as a Second Language, teachers are constantly faced with the above issues in their teaching environment. A more thorough comprehension of the experiences of second language learners could improve the skills of those teaching English as a Second Language.

Thesis (M.A. (Linguistic Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2012 / This study explored the use of code switching as a learning and teaching strategy among grade 11 mathematics literacy learners at selected high schools in Limpopo Province. This study, in exploring this use, discovered language problems faced by these learners in the mathematics literacy classroom. Language seemed to be the major barrier in the understanding of concepts in mathematics literacy; and the material being delivered to them. The study found out that the use of code switching, from English to mother tongue, in explaining some of the concepts greatly helped the learners understand their scope of work. The study recommends the use of code switching during mathematics literacy lessons to better facilitate the process of learning and teaching and to improve language performance of the learners

Not available / text

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / English Studies / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

This dissertation focuses on code-switching i.e. the alternate use of two languages within the same speech event, as a technique in teaching literature to Grade 10 ESL learners by bilingual teachers in comparison to English only method by an English monolingual teacher, in two schools in Port Shepstone. This study examines the forms and functions of English-Zulu code-switching by bilingual ESL teachers. Using the experimental approach, it also investigates whether there are any significant differences in scholastic achievement as measured by tests of literary works between the control group which is taught through the medium of English and the experimental group which is taught through the medium of cs. This study also examines the attitudes of monolingual and bilingual educators and bilingual learners toward CS, particularly in the domain of the school. Through an analysis of data obtained from questionnaires, interviews, lesson recordings and tests, this research reveals that even though CS does not appear to significantly contribute to scholastic achievement, it fulfills a variety of pedagogical functions. CS therefore claims a firm position in the classroom. As such, I argue that CS should not necessarily be perceived as interlanguage but as a form of linguistic code in its own right. I also demonstrate that contrary to a wealth of studies (e. g. Nyowe 1992; Gibb 1998) that show that English monolingual speakers, as well as those who employ CS in their linguistic repertoire, stigmatise the use of CS, the majority of participants of this research perceive CS as a code that is both inevitable and a valuable learning resource. Finally, I explore the implications of this research for principals, teachers and governing body members. I suggest that there is a need for these role players to engage in consciousness raising as the ANC Language Policy Document clearly accords CS an official status and more importantly, CS is a reality in the classroom. In addition, I examine the implications of CS for ESL teachers and teaching, particularly in the teaching of literature. I suggest that by employing CS in the teaching of literature teachers help learners to better interact with and interpret the literary text, and also promote communicative competence among the learners. Lastly, I explore the implications of CS for methodology. I conclude that the strategic use of CS effectively enhances English L2 acquisition. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

The present study seeks to investigate the linguistic behavior of two Newari high castes, called Shresthas and Udas, living in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, in their use of Newari, the ethnic language, and Nepali, the national language. Specifically, the study attempts to explain the hypothesis that the Hindu (Shrestha) Newars are becoming monolingual in Nepali while the Buddhist (Udas) Newars are maintaining their bilingualism in Nepali and Newari. To do so, a questionnaire was distributed to a total of 96 subjects, selected through quota sampling procedures. The questionnaire not only elicits information about the situational and societal variation in the subjects' use of Newari and Nepali but also reveals their attitudes and opinions about the differential use of these languages. Also, the participant observation method was employed to supplement and validate the responses derived from the questionnaire survey.The results from this study suggest a diglossic behavior in the Udas' use of Newari and Nepali, which, however, is remarkably different from those found in classic diglossic settings. This, in turn, leads to a reexamination of Ferguson's concept of diglossia. The Shresthas, on the other hand, frequently alternate between Newari and Nepali regardless of situation. Such linguistic differences between these two groups are related to their varied social networks and relationships; the Udas Newars' greater use of Newari is due to their closed social networks while the Shresthas' greater use of Nepali is due to their open social networks.The data on the analysis of the subjects' attitudes and opinions toward Nepali and Newari indicate that the Udas Newars are positive and favorable toward Newari while the Shresthas are ambivalent in their opinions toward these languages. This study, therefore, emphasizes a strong need for bilingual education in the country.The results of the present study show that the Udas' use of Newari exclusively at home and with children is a major factor in its retention. Among the Shresthas, it is rapidly losing ground to Nepali. Newari then is gradually dying away among the Shresthas, and will continually do so in the absence of institutional support. / Department of English

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 128-137).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 128-137). Also available in print.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the patterns of language alternation in the Polish community in Lithuania, which can be described as an indigenous ethnic group that has been living on the territory of modern-day Lithuania since the fourteenth century (Potašenko 2007). Following two language ideologies, Russification during Soviet times and Lithuanisation post-independence, the Lithuanian Poles developed complex linguistic repertoires, consisting of the regional and standard variety of Polish, Russian and Lithuanian. One of the most significant consequences of the prolonged language contact has been the emergence of frequent and regular language alternation between the regional variety of Polish and Russian, which constitutes the focal point of the present study. As the existing research suggests, the linguistic phenomena arising as a result of language contact can be situated along a continuum, which starts with code-switching, then gradually moves towards code-mixing and finally evolves into a conventionalised fused lect (Auer 1999). 'Classic' code-switching is characterised by the locally meaningful juxtaposition of the two languages, code-mixing can be described as a type of interaction where the switched mode of speaking becomes the norm while a fused lect is an even further development of bilingual speech, which presupposes loss of variation and an increase of linguistic structure. The data for the present study come from a corpus of spontaneous conversations involving members of the Polish community. The recordings were collected in the city of Vilnius and feature 25 respondents in their twenties. The data analysis reveals that all three types of language alternation feature in the present corpus; however, code-mixing is clearly the preferred type. It immediately manifests itself in the frequent insertion of Russian single switches and larger constituents into the Polish base. As a result of its wide spread and frequency, language alternation has lost its immediate local meaning and the pattern of frequent Polish-Russian mixing has become the accepted mode of speaking within the Polish speech community.