Month: December 2020

Deliberate Mismatch of Home and School Languages

Tianyi Long

Van Hertz (2018) discussed language mismatch of students in educational systems, stating that in communities, bilingual communities as an example, students may use different languages in their homes and schools. Such phenomena were assumed to be negative, preventing students (especially for working class students) from achieving academic success and endangering the trust of parents in the educational system. However, my engagement with my local communities provides examples on another possible attitude of the language mismatch: students or their families are eager to abandon their own language features to cope with that of the educational system. Moreover, this attitude is most likely to happen among working class or immigrant families.

It is important to note firstly, that today’s society still tends to regard some languages, registers, or speaking varieties as “more valued” than others. The word “valued” here means speakers of those languages are usually seen to have a higher social status and/or have easier access to social resources. Languages used in educational systems are either an approximation of such valued languages, or at least a necessity for higher education which is also largely associated with social resources. Bearing these in mind, you may find my observations below are actually understandable:

There are occasions when families, usually from the working class or having a lower social status, feel the urge to shape their children’s language competence (or repertoire) to approximate those valued languages. Further, they are willing to abandon their home languages or their features in order to achieve this.

For example, the Ningbo dialect spoken in my hometown is quite different from Mandarin, the Standard Chinese. Many people of the older generation, who speak the Ningbo dialect as their L1, deliberately expose children to, and communicate with them in Mandarin, which is also the language of schooling. In some families (mine included), parents use dialects for communication with each other, but talk to the children in Mandarin, resulting to an imbalanced distribution of language competence of the children, who usually end up being able to listen and comprehend, but not to speak.

The top concerns of those families are firstly to accommodate children into schooling system as smoothly as possible, and to erase possible influences of dialect on children’s Mandarin accent so that to they may sound more “decent”, or more “local” in the cases of immigrant families.

Whilst this attitude facilitates students’ language learning at school in general, and is therefore regarded as “positive”, or neutralised as “strong learning motivation”, we can see there are hidden dangers. First, the epistemology behind such an attitude tends to be purely pragmatic, where the values of schooling and language learning are most likely to be reduced to a pure tool for obtaining social resources. Individual development, therefore, is diminished (for example, it does happen that the only expectation of some students with respect to education is obtaining a degree). Second, abandonment of the home languages is often accompanied by the abandonment of student’s ethnic or regional identity, and can be seen as a micro-scoped “colonisation”, as conquering occurs when the major, dominant identity replaces and erases the minor, marginalised one. 

Do you have similar observations in your learning/teaching/living community? Leave a comment and let me know!

References:

Van Herk, G.(2018). What is sociolinguistics? (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell.

Dominance in Conversation: A Gendered Practice

Tia Goodhand

When examining the ways in which conversation emphasizes different language expectations depending on one’s gender, one must also observe the ways in which power dynamics manifest within language.

Van Herk (2017) defines gender as, “socially constructed identity, rather than a biological category” (p.97). Gender is a structure that is, “embedded in all institutions, actions, beliefs and desires that go along with the mapping of language use through communication, interaction and establishment of the social order” (Pakzadian & Ashoori, 2018, p.2).* This article does not consider biological sex, but rather solely markers of gender identity.

Conversation
All photos retrieved from Flickr copyright free.

Comparing the language use of women and men, women tend to favour standard language forms because the standard is more closely associated with increased status or opportunities for them than for men (Van Herk, 2018, p.105). When examining features of conversation between women and men , “mixed gender conversations tend to be more like men’s conversations, which put women at a conversational disadvantage” (Tannen, 1990,p. 27).

https://www.dropbox.com/s/coygoev748vqrpv/Interruption%20chart%20.png?dl=0

I remember seeing this chart for the first time four years ago in my Introduction to Sociolinguistics course during my undergraduate degree. I was initially shocked by the stark ratio of interruptions and began making an active effort to observe similar instances within my daily life. The societal dominance of men can be observed through these figures. When considering the number of interruptions within an average interaction: men interrupt 96% of the time, whereas women only do 4% of the interrupting. Fewer interruptions made by women, in turn makes it difficult to maintain control of conversation subjects and the associated points of discussion (Van Herk, 2018, p.98).

"TALK"
Image retrieved copyright free from Flickr.

“Participatory dominance involves restriction of speaking rights, especially through interruption and overlap.” (Pakzadian & Ashoori, 2018, p.4)

Thinking about everyday situations that illustrate and support the data found within the table above, I immediately thought of a Jimmy Fallon interview with Dakota Johnson. In the video attached below, Jimmy prompts Dakota to share a story about her dog being sprayed by a skunk. However, as Dakota shares the story, Jimmy repeatedly interrupts Dakota until she finally says: “Aren’t you supposed to let people talk on this show?” (1.17-1.27) I re-watched the interview noting down each instance in which Jimmy interrupts Dakota in the first minute and a half of the interview, the total: 17 times. *The story continues until (3.40)

What about Non-Binary Individuals?

Considering the gender spectrum, non-binary individuals have “proposed a range of innovative pronouns that they would like other people to use when referring to them” (Van Herk, 2018, p.111). The most common pronoun used within English to accommodate those who identify as non-binary is “they/them”. “They/them” is most frequently used, as it is a pronoun already included within the English pronoun system. Additionally, the term is already used in similar situations (p.111).

As an educator, I actively seek to create a learning environment that is safe and inclusive for all students. One strategy that I implement to do so, is through preferred pronouns. At the beginning of the school year, I ask students to write down their preferred pronouns, discreetly on a post-it. I also ask questions on the post-it such as, may I refer to you using this pronoun in front of the class? To your parents? To other educators?

Reflection Questions:

  1. Have you experienced a situation in which someone made a comment/acted in a way that perpetuated a toxic gender stereotype? How did you react?
  2. How can we accommodate non-binary individuals as teachers and/or researchers? What is one strategy that you will actively integrate into teaching/research practices?

References:

Holmes, J., & Wilson, N. (2017). An introduction to sociolinguistics (Fifth, Ser. Learning about language). Routledge.

Pakzadian, M., & Tootkaboni, A. A. (2018). The role of gender in conversational dominance: a study of efl learners. Cogent Education, 5(1).

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. (2018, January 30). Dakota Johnson Was Sneaking Photos of the Stranger Things Kids at the Golden Globes. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he8KNAiJwqE&t=216s

Van Herk, G. (2018). What is sociolinguistics? 2e Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell. 

*Images retrieved copyright free from Flickr.

Generation 1.5: Fearing the Loss of Culture and Identity

By Daniele Iannarone

This past week, taking the time to learn about the struggles of “Generation 1.5” Korean immigrants was fascinating. This is really a demographic that can often be overlooked when learning about or teaching languages, however, the struggle they face is definitely something we should acknowledge, recognize and work toward trying to help these people establish themselves and gain a sense of identity.

Just to clarify, a study conducted by Jean Kim and Patricia A. Duff (2012) in various Canadian universities sought to discover how Generation 1.5 Korean-Canadian university students identified and used their various languages (Korean and English). Among their various conclusions, the one that struck me most was that the ones who were more fluent in English and better integrated into the overarching English-speaking community were seen by their “less-integrated” Korean peers as a sort of “act of betrayal” (Kim & Duff, 2012, p. 89). Even though there were many Koreans in the schools, they were, in a sense, defined by who they spent time with and the primary language spoken between each other, and this would, in turn, define their “Korean-ness” (Kim & Duff, 2012).

This study really allowed me to reflect on several experiences I can relate to from my life and my family.

First off, I remember when I was younger, in my late teens, I had a family from Mexico move two doors down. Thinking back, this was really the first time I’d come face-to-face with this idea of Generation 1.5. At the time, as a budding entrepreneur of 15 years old with my own neighbourhood lawn-mowing business (which clearly never panned out over the long-term), I went over to these new neighbours to introduce myself and offer my services. It also helped that I was learning Spanish at the time, and I was able to converse with the parents. I met the children, of which there were four, and the two eldest were around my age, whereas the two youngest were in elementary school. The elder daughters were older when they came to Canada, and, as such, spoke fluently in Spanish and were limited in their English abilities. The opposite was true for the younger siblings, as they had started elementary school in English, and even spoke to each other in English instead of Spanish. It was apparently a struggle to get them to speak in Spanish at home at all. The older sisters were critical of this, concerned that their unwillingness to use Spanish regularly might lead them to become more assimilated and less connected to their cultures.

Similarly, I think I can partially relate the Generation 1.5 experience to my own family, as there were also times when we feared for our identities and culture. My parents and their siblings all came to Canada from Italy when they were around six years old. At the time, they only knew how to speak Italian, however, as, one by one, they all started going to English school (as French schools were rejecting Italian immigrants at the time), English became the language they used most outside the home, and eventually became the language used to speak to each other, to the dismay of my grandparents. My grandmother often tells me how she grew frustrated that they would speak to each other in English around the dinner table as she had trouble understanding them. With this said, she has also told me that she was happy they were picking up English so efficiently and that this would lead to more positive opportunities later on in life, which it did. This was the situation for both my parents.

When my sister and I were born, my parents decided to raise us speaking Italian at home. As such, we would hear them speak in English, but we would only really speak Italian until we started elementary school. Once this happened, and we became more proficient in English, somehow – and I don’t know exactly when, how, or why – we started to speak in English to our parents, and this is still the case today.

Of course, to note is that the way that my parents taught me Italian definitely differed to how they were taught Italian from their parents. There was even a study about this by Gloria Notarangelo (2016) that discovered that “the percentage of Italian language used in the relation first-second generation and that spoken between second and third generation, has decreased from 90% to 20%” (p. 12).

Finally, to link this all together, I’d like to relate back to the idea of Generation 1.5 and the struggles faced by some of these Korean-Canadian university students. If you recall, one of the discoveries for me while reading the study was to see that the “less integrated” Koreans would discriminate against the “more-integrated/English speaking” Koreans for, in a sense, “betraying their culture” (Kim & Duff, 2012). As a proud Italian-Canadian, I am extremely happy to be able to speak my language and connect with my rich culture. We were brought up with the strong sense that knowledge of Italian linked us to our identities and our culture, and therefore when I meet Italian-Canadians who have little to no knowledge of the Italian language, I cannot stop myself from low-key judging them for, in a sense, forgoing their own cultures and identities. Sure, my parents’ and my generation did not live the Generation 1.5, but I believe that, at the end of the day, in the case of all of the aforementioned cases and examples, it’s always a question of fear of loss of culture or identity.

As we see in this video by Italian-Montreal comedian Guido Grasso, however, even our old Italian ‘nonna’ mixes in English when speaking to relatives in Italy.

References:

Kim, J., & Duff, P. A. (2012). The language socialization and identity negotiations of generation 1.5 Korean- Canadian university students. TESL Canada Journal, 29(6), 81–102. Retrieved from http://www.teslcanadajournal.ca/index.php/tesl/article/view/1111/930

Notarangelo, G., Iacoviello, A. (2016). Frenitalianese in Montreal: when French, Italian and English collide. Retrieved from: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/42901882.pdf

[debstube100]. (2013, January 18). Guido Grasso – Italian vs. North American Italian [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NItXn1ipoQ&ab_channel=debstube100

Difference or dominance?

Eva

I would guess that most of us are familiar with language and gender issues like mansplaining, which has become common in pop culture in recent years.

I was familiar with mansplaining before this class as well, but the aspect of language and gender that surprised me more was that of conversational norms of genders and the clash of conversational cultures. I had never realized it before, but as I read the chapter on language and gender in Van Herk (2018), it was almost an exact rendering of my social circle. To be fair, both the studies referred to and my own experience occur in middle class, Western contexts. 

I remember one summer evening in particular where the conversational style differences between men and women were so stark. It was a group of five men and three women in their mid-20s. We had been playing games and joking around, one upping each other with funny or crazy stories and jokes. Men and women alike egged each other on in a playful yet competitive atmosphere “where speakers compet[ed] for the floor” (Van Herk, 2018, p. 89). At some point, the three of us girls wandered off and were talking just us. The conversational style took a 180 degree turn, becoming supportive and personal, just like in Van Herk (2018). We huddled together and the conversation drifted from discussing our latest issues to old insecurities from childhood that still come back to haunt us every now and then. Van Herk “proposes that perhaps the norms for women’s talk are small group interactions in private contexts (whose goal is to maintain solidarity),” which describes perfectly what was going on (Van Herk, 2018, p. 89). In this private context away from the boys, a whole other world of conversation thrived. We built solidarity by sharing our worries and being there for each other. I remember feeling satisfied, like I was taking a breath of fresh air. Then, someone came over and stated that they were starting a new game and it was almost like the spell broke and we were back. We interrupted and laughed and teased and forgot about the previous conversational style.

What I’ve just described has been referred to as the difference model, or the idea that “gender differences in language do reflect different cultures of conversation” (Van Herk, 2012, p. 89). While this feels accurate, I do also believe that men and women are not equal in society, and that the dominance model fits that perspective better. This model attributes these differences to the unequal status of women. Personally, it doesn’t feel like my social circle is sexist, even subconsciously, but I also know that men still have more power in society and so surely there is some latent sexism in there. And it is true that our womens’ conversational style has never been brought to the larger group, or even among smaller, mixed gender groups within the same eight people. The women change and adapt to the culture of conversation, but the men don’t really. Are these differences in conversational cultures due to the difference model or the dominance model? Or some combination of both? 

I have to admit, I enjoy both styles. They have different uses and goals, but both serve a purpose. Maybe we’ll get to a place where both can thrive and all genders experience them, without an imbalance of power. Or maybe we’re already there. 

Van Herk, Gerard. (2018). Gender and Identity. What is sociolinguistics? 2e Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

Language Revitalization

Tia Goodhand

The influence of language greatly shapes our culture and identity. The languages we acquire contribute to our self-definitions. However, what are the repercussions if the languages we speak become less popular due to demography, prestige, and institutional support? To what extent would our identities be affected? What measures would have to be implemented in order to avoid the loss of a language completely?

After reading chapter 13: Language as a Social Entity within the text, What is Sociolinguistics? (Van Herk, 2018) I developed a particular interest in language revitalization. While many languages are suffering from large-scale language shifts, language revitalization seeks to encourage the preservation and use of these at-risk languages.

Plantlets

Examining the various strategies to support and revive a language, I also read many texts about language death. Van Herk defines the death of a language as “ a complete shift in which the original is no longer used by anyone, anywhere” (p.189). Language revitalization measures strive to avoid language death at all costs. While Cornish for example is no one’s first language, efforts to promote revival have been actively implemented. Cornish lessons, language radio programs, and newspaper articles are three example mediums integrated as revival strategies (p.190).

I began to read about the language revitalization processes of languages including Maori, Navaho, Inuktitut and Welsh. As I delved deeper, I discovered, “90% of the world speaks only 100 languages-the other 6,600 are kept alive by small groups, and for a very large proportion of those languages, the number of speakers is diminishing” (Hinton, 2003, p.44) Additionally, languages that are used by a small number of individuals who possess minimal political or economic power are typically those who at risk of language death (Van Herk, 2018, p.189).

These readings prompted me to reflect upon the languages I have learned, as well as their associated societal positioning and interpreted power. I began to reflect on how my identity as an ESL teacher and speaker of French can be linked to hegemonic language values. The dominant languages that I speak, do not require language revitalization, due to societally enforced power structures. I also reflected upon my position as a second language researcher. As I analyzed the ways in which my perspective of language that has been created through a lens of language prestige, I also became aware of possible subconscious biases that may arise in my research. I must therefore critically examine my research methods, constanly searching for these nuances.

Classroom

Examining the revitalization measures for Inuktituk, the financial obstacles became clear. Author of the blog post, Revitalization of Inuktitut: Using government funding to implement technology to strengthen an endangered language, Haley Blair (2019), dissects the various strategies that could be implemented within the language revitalization process of the Inuktituk. Hailey mentions that while there are many acts that strive to revitalize languages, these measures are often impeded by limitations on funding.

A short-term solution? Ms. Blair suggests researching effective ways to create online resources that will then be made widely accessible to the public. She also articulates that alongside the goal of language revitalization, these measures will create meaningful opportunities for generations to connect.

Team Work

It is also important to take into account the various methods of preserving and revitalizing languages. The tools and strategies that are implemented must also align with the traditions and cultural practices of the language being revived.

 Considering the preservation of European languages,

“literacy plays a key role in language maintenance and revitalization. Frisian, Irish, Welsh, Breton, Catalan, and other minority languages have long literary traditions, which helps their standing in the eyes of the world and provides avenues for artistic expression, education, and research”  (p.52).

For most indigenous languages, however, “Instead, there may be important traditions of formal oratory and oral storytelling, along with ritual and ceremony that have oral components” (p.52).

Language revitalization is a multi-tiered process that is both timely and expensive. Van Herk (2008) asks the question, how should language funding be allocated? As well as, should certain languages should be labeled as a higher priority than others? (p.202). If anyone would like to share their opinions or thoughts, I would love to continue the conversation in the comments section!

For anyone interested in gaining further insight into language revitalization, April Charlo shares a personal anecdote about her language revitalization journey in the Ted Talk below.

References:

Charlo, A. (2015, March 27). Indigenous Language Revitalization. [Video]. TED. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kuC_IemiCs

Blair, H. (2019, June 11). Revitalization of Inuktitut: Using government funding to implement technology to strengthen an endangered language. University of Washington.

Revitalization of Inuktitut: Using government funding to implement technology to strengthen an endangered language

Hinton, L. (2003). Language revitalization. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 23, 44–57.

Van Herk, G. (2018). What is sociolinguistics? 2e Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell. 

Quebec English – How does one describe a dialect?

Kevin Anderson

For convenience, we put most of Canada into one dialect across Canada, even though there are regional differences.  In Quebec, there exists a special form of English, with a subset of words and phrases or borrowings from the French language.  In Montreal, a culturally and linguistically varied population led to even more influence on the English language. 

How does one describe a dialect?  How do we get the information to describe the specific particularities a certain population has?  Is it better to have an “insider” describe the particularities of a sub-set of language?  Or, is it better to have an “outsider” notice these differences and then describe them?  I would argue there are pluses and minuses between insiders versus outsiders making observations about language dialect.  For insiders, knowledge of the socio-cultural fabric of the neighbourhood, the quirks, the expressions, the body-language etc. will allow access to the special language that makes it unique; but, how does one know their language is different from the norm as in the rest of Canada?  Likewise, how does an outsider recognize the specific particularities of a population that is foreign to them?  Will they be able to catch the particularities accurately? 

I would argue that a dialect can be quite particular to specific individuals depending on their backgrounds.  From my perspective, I sometimes disagree with observations made about Quebec English; however, at the same time, these discussions can be very useful.  If we consider triangulation in qualitative research, we need to discuss language from many different angles, have a debate about it, and arrive at a truth.  Van Herk (2018) discusses nonce-borrowings, “one-offs” that began as isolated usages of language, but eventually with repetition became borrowings and used in every-day speech.  Van Herk (2018) also mentions how nonce-borrowings affect language and can “require a lot of contact, often for long periods of time” (p. 138) before they become long-term borrowings.  English, French, and other languages have certainly co-existed for a long time in some parts of Quebec.  

close the light
PNGkey.com “Close the light”

To get access to the various opinions on the special ways in which English Quebecers speak, the internet provides some examples.  Although I agree with many terms that are mentioned on these sites, other times I disagree.  Perhaps it is the different opinions that allow us to arrive at a conclusion as to what is and what is not a local Quebec English. 

This article discusses how we say the “dep” instead of the corner store or convenience store.  We say “all-dressed” pizza which means pepperoni, mushrooms, green pepper and cheese.  We live in a “four-and-a-half (two-bedroom apartment) with a gallery (porch).  We “open” and “close” the lights.  These terms I agree with but then it says we say “planification”, “formation” and “animator”, which I agree less with.  Maybe some other people in Montreal say these things? The article, however, gives us interesting insight as to how the different linguistic compositions of the different neighbourhoods affect language, resulting in different accents and dialects.  What makes this article credible are the sources which provided a mix of expert and street-level opinions about Montreal English.

This online discussion forum links “open the lights” and “close the lights” with various other languages in a similar way when speaking English. The following video actually discourages the use of the expression “Open the light” but I will say it anyway (at least in Montreal)!

This webpage makes me wonder where they got their information from.  In my opinion, for anything to be credible, we need sources or at least a second opinion.  This site mentions expressions such as “Give me your coordinates” to get someone’s contact information, which I have never heard of.  However, it does mention the word “terrasse” which refers to an outdoor patio.  Also, a “cinq-à-sept’’ refers to an early gathering from roughly 5-7 p.m.  The article shows, in my opinion, how one might speak if they are perfectly bilingual with French as a first language.  Other examples include “la bise” for kissing people when greeting; “in the moon”, which is a translation of “dans la lune” in which the English equivalent would be “out to lunch”.  I do say the “guichet” for an ATM machine though.

So, why don’t we write about Quebec English and share with each other the particularities that make our English unique in some ways?  Maybe we can learn a few things from each other.

Reference:

Van Herk, Gerard. (2018). What is sociolinguistics? 2e Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

Raising a multilingual family, a personal reflection

By Silvia Nunez

Every multilingual family implements its own strategies and dynamics to include different languages in their daily life. Based on their ideology, attitudes, and experiences, members of each family decide when and how to use the resources included in their whole repertoire. Usually, these decisions emerge from the family language policy established at home.

There could be families more open to mixing languages, others that would avoid the use of some languages in specific contexts, and others that would try to follow closely the policies promoted by the larger society. But in the end, it is important to keep in mind that each family is trying to do their best to make meaning of their world.  ( More about Language policy in the Family)

From my experience, as a Mexican woman living in Montreal and raising a trilingual family, I have noticed that some aspects of our family language policy have changed during the past year. First of all, our monolingual bias has moved towards a multilingual mindset in which we use three different languages in our daily lives. We try to use Spanish most of the time at home or to contact family members living abroad, we use English to communicate with friends or at school and work, and we use French to interact in society and accomplish daily routine tasks. As we use Spanish, English, and French every day, the boundaries between these languages are not clear anymore, and sometimes, expressions are being reshaped, and even new words are being created. 

MY FAMILY’S NEW GLOSSARY

New Word  Languages usedMeaning
ArretearFrench (arret)  and Spanish (“_ear” infinitive verb conjugation) stop
BisosFrench (bisous) and Spanish (besos)kisses
GrapearEnglish (wrap) and Spanish (“_ear” infinitive verb conjugation) Wrap something
IncludenEnglish (include) and Spanish (incluyen) they include
PatientiaEnglish (patience) and Spanish (paciencia)patience
TurnearEnglish (turn) and Spanish (“_ear” infinitive verb conjugation) turn the page.
CapaEnglish (cap) and Spanish (tapa)bottle cap
My Family’s New Glossary

We are conscious about the creativity that we are using to reinvent the ways we communicate but, besides mixing languages, this new family language policy plan will also directly impact our children’s multilingual identities and therefore, as parents, we have the responsibility to understand where our language ideologies and attitudes are coming from to be aware of the messages that we are sending to our kids and the roles we are modeling for them. (Curdt-Christiansen, 2009). That’s a big task, isn’t it? Are there any suggestions that you could give to parents experiencing a similar situation? What would you, as educators, advice multilingual families that are establishing their family language policy?  

Resources:

Curdt-Christiansen, X. L. (2009). Invisible and visible language planning: Ideological factors in the family language policy of Chinese immigrant families in Quebec. Language Policy, 8(4), 351– 375.

New Sociolinguistic Realities: Interactions via Zoom

Cynthia Desjardins

As we near the end of this first online-only semester, I found myself having a much harder time thinking of ideas for blog posts than I usually do for assignments. Why could this be? Why am I not noticing certain elements of language, style, interaction or other sociolinguistic features in conversations? The answer is simple: I have significantly less outings and conversations than before the pandemic! I do not take the metro, do not go shopping a lot and do not go to restaurants and coffee shops, all places where one may hear conversations.

With this information in mind, I can direct my attention to the main form of communication during this pandemic: Zoom classes/meetings. There are very noticeable changes to our conversations, particularly in terms of style and interactions (Van Herk, 2018). My personal style in face to face conversations tends to have humor and a lot of gestures. However, crucial elements of humor, such as wait time and people’s reactions are all changed in an online environment. My ability to express humor in daily conversations is therefore altered.

This meme accurately describes the situation:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/95qk6z3vltmv9fg/Zoom%20lectures%20meme.jpeg?dl=0

Another major change is hinderances to conversations that are not present in face to face conversations. At times when classmates try to express themselves, they forget to ‘unmute’ themselves and they have to be told before they can unmute themselves and attempt to communicate their thoughts. There is furthermore the element of having unstable internet connection, resulting in ‘lagging’. One’s speech and/or image could be frozen or choppy and make it difficult to understand them. Lastly, some people are in a situation where they cannot open their cameras or it is broken, hence allowing us only to hear and not see them. Being able to see a speaker’s facial expressions and their lips moving when they speak is a large part of communication. When explaining Zoom essentials, Fleishman (2020) even provides tip on how to look like you are paying attention. Importantly, they mention using ‘in-person’ cues with the camera such as looking directly at it and nodding. It demonstrates that while Zoom meetings attempt to mimic real-life situation, there are still major differences.

Van Herk (2018) also describes turn-taking as a significant part of interactions. This is noticeably more challenging in an online environment. The few seconds of delay when someone speaks makes it much more difficult for someone to insert themselves in a conversation without effectively interrupting the person. This results in what I refer to as ‘monologues’ on Zoom where you speak for a while without receiving feedback or answers from others. These ‘monologues’ feel less natural and lack the quick back and forth of a conversation with colleagues.

As demonstrated, there are several noticeable changes to our interactions nowadays since we moved primarily to an online format. It is however the safest option available at the moment, so we must simply be aware of the differences and do our best to navigate through them. How have these changes impacted you?

References

Fleishman, G., & Safari, an O’Reilly Media Company. (2020). Take control of Zoom essentials   (1st ed.). Take Control Books. Retrieved from https://go.oreilly.com/queensland-university-of-technology /library /view / -/9781947282636/?ar.

Steve (@kuya_steven). (2020,March 23). Sitting thru zoom lectures like [Tweet]. Twitter retrieved from https://cheezburger.com /10963461/funny-tweets-about-living-life-   through-zoom-meetings

Van Herk, Gerard. (2018). What is sociolinguistics? 2e. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

Fighting Covid-19 with Language Diversity

Li Peng

It is already in November and the State of Emergency was declared again for the whole Province of Nova Scotia. This is the 19th time since the outbreak of Covid-19 in February in Canada. Languages related to this pandemic have already penetrated our everyday life. Here is a picture I took in March this year. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), some of the expressions have become increasingly used and extensively known around the globe, such as Covid-19 and coronavirus, which were not historically part of the basic vocabulary. As time went by, the most frequently used words by us have changed, from “coronavirus” and “self-isolate”/ “social distancing” in February and March, to “mask”, “frontliner”, “telemedicine”/ “telehealth”, and “Zoom” from April to June (OED, 2020). We can see there was a shift from the virus itself to social responses.

Note: Covid-19 flyers distributed in March in Nova Scotia

At the very beginning of the pandemic, two things are of great urgency: (a) to spread the knowledge on coronavirus and prevention methods to the public; (b) to send medical supplies to countries in need. Both parts needed support from languages. Though Canada is a bilingual country by institutions, I have not seen any French leaflets in Halifax, which is an English dominant city. There is no doubt that we need this information in different languages. Take China for example, because this pandemic first broke out across the whole country among tens of thousands of populations within China, Beijing urged local governments to ensure medical prevention measures and guarantee policies could be delivered from cities to rural areas. The health information was available in different languages through words, audio and/or videos in ethnic minority communities. For instance, at least four languages of rTau, Minyak, Shili rGyalrong, and Khroskyabs were presented in western Sichuan Province (Lha, 2020). The Gansu Province also published bilingual recourses, and they offered this information through broadcasting, television, WeChat, internet, and visiting rural households. Besides being familiar with the importance of wearing a mask and washing hands, local people showed their appreciation more for their local linguistic diversity. Some people, however, criticized the languages used in the videos as weird and unnatural, and that the information should have been provided much earlier with the latest data and alerts, and the treatment or cure (Li, 2020). Personally speaking, I am optimistic how dialects and language varieties help to build solidarity with local residents and understand the medical information.

Note: Bilingual health dialogue in Putonghua and Hubei Mandarin (Li, 2020)

I remember that in February Chinese netizens were all impressed by Japan’s donation of medical supplies with a cover of Chinese classical verses. These Chinese poems, including 山川异域 风月同天 (translation: although hills’ n rills set us apart, the moon and wind share our kind heart) and 岂曰无衣 与子同裳 (translation: together we stand, my armors thine), greatly cheered Chinese people up at their hardest time, “We feel so very warm, especially with the traditional Chinese poetry.” (Zheng, 2020) Languages have built a bridge for us in this pandemic period and we have a stronger feeling that we are an interrelated community of shared future. Does language unite us to fight against Covid-19? Or more linguistic and social inequality has been created instead?

Note: Covid-19 medical supplies from Japan with Chinese classical verse of “山川异域 风月同天 (translation: although hills’ n rills set us apart, the moon and wind share our kind heart)”

References:

Li, J. (2020, March 4). Coronavirus meets linguistic diversity. Language on the Move. https://www.languageonthemove.com/coronavirus-meets-linguistic-diversity/

Lha, Y. (2020, February 17). Fighting the coronavirus in local languages. Language on the Move. https://www.languageonthemove.com/fighting-the-coronavirus-in-local-languages/

Oxford English Dictionary (OED). (2020, April 15). Corpus analysis of the language of Covid-19. https://public.oed.com/blog/corpus-analysis-of-the-language-of-covid-19/

Oxford English Dictionary (OED). (2020, July 15). Using corpora to track the language of covid-19: Update 2. https://public.oed.com/blog/using-corpora-to-track-the-language-of-covid-19-update-2/

The Government of Nova Scotia. (2020, November 17). Schedule “A”: Renewal of provincial state of emergency by Minister. https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/docs/Renewal-of-Provincial-State-of-Emergency-Nov-29-Dec-13.pdf

The National Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People’s Republic of China. Bilingual epidemic prevention and control publicity carried out in ethnic areas of Gansu Province [甘肃省民族地区开展双语疫情防控宣传]. https://www.neac.gov.cn/seac/xwzx/202002/1139580.shtml

Zheng, H. G. (2020, February 11). Xinhua international commentary: “Hills’ n rills set us apart, the moon and wind share our kind heart” adds warmth of helping and supporting each other [新华国际时评：“风月同天”增添守望相助的暖意]. Xinhuanet. http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2020-02/11/c_1125559832.htm

Language Culture and Ideology at my American High School

By Conner

I was thrilled when I moved from a small, rural Appalachian high school to a high school in a mid-sized East Coast city. At my old school, foreign languages (French and Spanish) weren’t available until the 3rd of the 4 years we were in secondary school; my first year of high school, the only electives available were art and keyboarding. In rural schools, unwanted classes are often taught by athletic staff, so I had a choice between Coach Carl and keyboards: my mother told me keyboarding.

I spent an entire year learning how to use an electric typewriter. I typed a lot. It was 1996.

When I moved schools at the beginning of my second year, I had four choices of language classes (!!!!): Spanish, French, Latin, and German.

In retrospect, it’s interesting to observe the associated prestige and perceptions associated with each language class. Our high school definitely had its own language culture and language ideology. Language culture is defined by Schiffman (2000) as “the subconscious beliefs and assumptions about the social utility of a particular language in a given society that reflect values and patterns rooted in a society’s linguistic culture” (in Curdt-Christiansen, 2009, p. 354). Language ideology is “the perceived value, power, and utility” (Curdt-Christiansen, 2009, p. 354) of a language.

Let’s unpack: Spanish was for boys who didn’t care, girls who acted out, and kids who had some form of Latinx heritage, German was for nerds, Latin was for go-getters and smart kids, and French was primarily female students on the popular or “nice” end of the spectrum.

There’s a lot going on there!

In retrospect, I of course wish I’d taken French, since I’ve lived in Quebec for the better part of ten years at this point. But French at the time was the most romantic of the Romance languages. The teacher wore colourful tights and the students went on a yearly summer trip to France. The girls in the class were pretty and popular (read: intimidating), and coming from a rural school, I felt that I was not nearly cosmopolitan enough to take French.

The associated language ideology associated with French appears to have been linked with international travel and prestige. There was also the cultural capital of French as a language of refinement; many of the students in the class were dedicated francophiles. At the time, English was becoming more popular, but there was still a perception of French as a lingua franca; however, learning French was not associated with earning money, but rather having money.

I did not take French.

As an American, the language that would have probably proven to be the most “useful” in my day-to-day life was Spanish. There were not many Latinx students in my school, but their population all over the US was growing, and implicit in Spanish was the opportunity that you would actually be able to use it and find people to talk to. So why was Spanish not flooded with students? Lower prestige.

Unless students had a connection to the Spanish language in their families, the potential language community one could enter with Spanish must have been perceived as lower-class. Spanish was a language of workers, not international business and commerce, technological innovation, or historical prestige and education.

As an adult, I see Spanish as the best choice, but I enrolled in German with a Latin elective.

We were told Latin would help us on our SAT’s, the standardized test that American students take as part of their college applications, primarily through learning new vocabulary (which might have been available in Spanish or French). Advanced Latin students read racy poems by Catullus and traveled each year to state-wide Latin competitions (I have NO idea what that entails, by the way).

Latin did not have a direct economic capital, but it did promise an academic edge and a certain kind of prestige. I’m sure everyone in my Latin classes planned on going to university.

German classes were full of nerds of a variety of stripes. I think it might have been suitably male, while lacking the lower prestige of Spanish, and suitably counter-culture, lacking the moneyed outlook of French. A couple of my classmates were punks or skaters; another would wear bowties to school. They were interested in fields like computer science or engineering; there may have been something about the perceived “logic” of German that appealed to us.

I took German because it’s where I felt like I “fit.” I was correct; I did so well in my German classes that I completed two years’ worth of coursework in two semesters. I felt like I’d overcome the disadvantage of my rural high school and my keyboarding class.

A lot of what was assumed about these classes was implicit, and what was explicit was simply assumed as the “the way things are,” which is a pretty good sign that my high school had a very firmly entrenched language culture.

Most of of my German has faded with use and been replaced with French, in case you are wondering. These days I type around 80 words per minute.

What kinds of language culture or ideologies did you encounter while growing up? Do you view these in a different light now that you are older?

References

Curdt-Christiansen, X. L. (2009) Invisible and visible language planning: Idological factors in the family language policy of Chinese immigrant families in Quebec. Lang Policy, 8, 351-375.

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