1. What are some of weaknesses of using the term “domain” coined by Joshua Fishman, an American sociolinguist? RESPOND HERE: Domain is a term which does not factor in many different social influences. 2. In example 5, the author notes that in primary school, Lin Tan was taught half the day in Mandarin Chinese (the official written language of China). What other language do you think was the medium of instruction for the other half of the day and why?\ RESPOND HERE: Singapore English. It says she learned Singapore English in primary school and it’s the language of her textbooks and official government business, which positions it fairly high in the chain of languages 3. Why is “leakage” a problematic term for linguists? RESPOND HERE: it implies that one language is being contaminated with another. The resulting variety would be lesser than either “pure” language. 4. When Kalala is angry with his younger brother, he uses Indoubil, the variety of Swahili spoken among the youth of Bukavu. However, his younger brother has yet to learn Indoubil. How and why might abusing his younger brother be effective if his younger brother doesn’t understand Indoubil? RESPOND HERE: It would be effective in making his brother feel like a child, or like he’s stupid for not knowing the language. 5. How might Kalala’s code-switching into Indoubil with his younger brother compare to that described on Chapter 1, Example 7 (p. 7) when an angry wife addressed her husband in German in a pub? RESPOND HERE: In ch1 ex 7, The woman was emphasizing her husband’s neglect of the home by using the language of the home. Kalala could be emphasizing his younger brother’s outsider status from the teenagers by using their language. 6. Draw up a list of at least five English terms that Cantonese-speaking students at the University of Utah might switch to when conversing in Cantonese at home in Salt Lake about their studies at the U. RESPOND HERE: Canvas, Trax, The U, Salt Lake, Redwood (the street) 7. How does the author describe and explain the switch back and forth between Tok Pisin and Buang in Example 17 (p. 41) RESPOND HERE: She calls it “metaphorical code-switching” He is drawing on the social implication of these codes to emphasize both his membership in the local community and his expertise8. Explain the range of attitudes that diglossic speakers have towards H and L varieties? RESPOND HERE: attitudes toward different varieties will change based on the setting. In the proper setting, L varieties make people feel close, emphasizing membership to the same social group; H varieties increase social distance and make people sound educated and formal. In the wrong setting, H varieties will make a person seem pretentious and L varieties will make a person sound low-class and
View Full Document