The History Of Code Switching

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The study of code switching began in the mid-1970s with the work of the sociolinguist John J. Gumperz and Dell Hymes. Both investigated the communicative behavior within “speech communities”. Gumperz and Hymes defined “speech communities” as a, “group of speakers who share knowledge of the communicative constraints and options governing a significant number of social situations” (Diller). Gumperz and Hymes also fashioned the requirements needed to form a “speech community”. The requirements state, “All that is required is that there be at least one language in common and that rules governing basic communicative strategies be shared so that speakers can decode the social meanings carried by alternative modes of communication” (Diller). Once …show more content…

When a speaker code switches across cultural boundaries, the process is called cross-cultural code switching. Andrew Molinsky, in the article Cross-Cultural Code- Switching, defines the term as, “the act of purposefully modifying one 's behavior in an interaction in a foreign setting in order to accommodate different cultural norms for appropriate behavior” (Molinsky). In order to cross-culture code switch, a speaker must deviate from the code and behavior of their native code and engage appropriately in the listener’s foreign code. Meaning, the process of cross-cultural code-switching, “forces an individual to consciously override his dominant, culturally ingrained response” (Molinsky). Also, Molinsky adds that there are two stipulations to completing a cross-culture code switch. First, an individual must successfully take on an identity that is role-appropriate for their particular interaction. The second stipulation is that the situation of the individual must have unfamiliar …show more content…

For example, the wide usage of text language among adolescent speech has become standard practice. Kristen Turner, in the article Flipping the Switch, suggests that many adolescents are now code switching between standard English and Texting Speak. She states this realization in the quote, “the vast majority of teens have eagerly embraced written communication with their peers as they share messages on their social network pages, in emails and instant messages online, and through fast-paced thumb choreography on their cell phones” (Turner). Text Speak has become a staple within the identities of the generations Y and Z. However, there are different views on if the issue of Text Speak warrants concern. The College Board’s National Commission on Writing states that Text Speak has, “a considerable number of educators and children’s advocates concerned that the quality of writing by young Americans is being degraded by their move towards using electronic communication”, while, Richard Sterling from The New York Times suggests that Text Speak is not an issue to worry about. He states, “What happens when students bring informal language into the classroom? Is text speak truly a problem, or is its occurrence an opportunity to teach students about the nature of

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