Читать книгу Bilingual Couples in Conversation - Silja Ang-Tschachtli - Страница 11

This book is structured as follows. To begin with, I present a short overview of the language situation in Switzerland, which is the place of residence of the couples in this book (chapter 2). The linguistic makeup of the country is rather complex, partly due to its multilingualism, but also due to the diglossic situation in the German-speaking part of the country. I also describe the role of the English language in Switzerland, both as an influence on local varieties and as an important language in education, tourism, and commerce. This contextual information is important, as the attitudes and language ideologies attached to these different varieties may be an important factor with regard to the couples’ language choice.

In the subsequent chapter, I give an overview of previous work on bilingual, bicultural couples, and define some important terms with reference to biculturalism and bilingualism (chapter 3). For the sake of clarity, I discuss research on bicultural and on bilingual couples separately, as although the two are closely related, most research concentrates on one or the other. In each part, I also present an outline of the challenges bilingual, bicultural couples may face. In this chapter, I only discuss general aspects of research on bilingual, bicultural couples. An overview of more specific studies in the areas which are examined in this book is offered in the corresponding chapters.

Chapter 4 describes the sample and research methods. I present an overview of the most important information relating to each interviewee, as well as a short biography of each couple. In addition, I outline my interviewing methodology and the design of the questionnaire that formed the basis of the interviews. The transcription conventions are also described, as well as the software used for transcribing the interviews and analysing the data. The chapter also includes a discussion of the difficulties that I encountered during the process of data collection and analysis.

After the description of the setting, subjects and methodology for data collection, I present the main body of my analysis, which has been divided into six chapters. I begin in chapter 5 with what may be the most influential factor in determining the manner in which the couples communicate, namely their language choice. After outlining the factors that have been found to influence language choice in bilinguals, I discuss the couples’ reported language use with each other, and the reasons behind this. In addition, their language use outside the home is discussed, as this may be connected to their language proficiency, attitudes, and/or level of integration. In the same chapter, I also document some aspects that the couples report as unusual about their way of communicating. This includes topics such as moderating their manner of speaking, and the high level of communication and mutual understanding that they claim to have achieved as a result of their different backgrounds.

Chapter 6 examines the couples’ language mixing behaviour. This chapter is a combination of the couples’ reports on their language mixing on the one hand, and their mixing behaviour during the interviews on the other. In order to analyse their language mixing, I distinguish between code-switches and borrowings, between hedged and unhedged switches, and between spontaneous and metalinguistic switches. The participants’ language switching behaviour is then analysed with reference to a number of variables, such as their family situation, mother tongue and gender, and compared to their reports about their mixing behaviour and their views on language mixing.

After this, I turn to more specific areas in the couples’ communication and relationships. In chapter 7, I look more closely at the topics of attitudeattitudes and attraction, as these influence the couples’ linguistic behaviour considerably. I discuss parallels in what the participants found attractive about each other initially, as well as the development of their attitudes towards their partners’ language and culture over the course of their relationship. Moreover, I examine their views on being a bilingual, bicultural couple, and discuss the expectations, hopes and worries the couples voice with regard to raising bilingual childrenbilingualchildren. As the topic of raising bilingual children has been widely researched and documented, this aspect is discussed only briefly; nevertheless, it is included in the interests of comprehensiveness. Furthermore, children may also have an influence on the language use of a bilingual couple, and the partners’ private language planning gives us clues about covert attitudes.

The topic of expressing emotions in a bilingual relationship is addressed in chapter 8. In this chapter, I examine which terms the couples use to express positive and negative emotions during the interviews, as well as the voice quality and terminal pitch accompanying the expression of emotions. I also analyse to what extent speakers with different genders or mother tongues differ in their expression of emotion. The couples’ thoughts on expressing positive and negative emotions in a second language are also discussed, as are potential issues for their relationship that arise from their situation, and strategies for dealing with these issues.

In chapter 9, the bilinguals’ use of swearwords is analysed. I discuss both their reported use of swearwords and their swearing behaviour during the interviews, with particular focus on their language choice, as well as the role of gender, mother tongue, nationality and family situation. Furthermore, I explore the interviewees’ reactions to their partners’ use of swearwords, and the taboos associated with swearwords in their first and second language.

Finally, I look at the role and function of humour and laughter in the couples’ conversations (chapter 10). I first analyse the manner in which the couples use humour during the interviews, with particular attention to the topics that trigger laughter, as well as who laughs about whom, and with what frequency. I also discuss the participants’ use of a laughing and smiling voice quality during the interviews, and see if any aspects of their laughing behaviour seem to be influenced by the factors of gender or mother tongue. In the second part of the chapter, I offer an overview of the bilinguals’ reports on their individual and couple humour. In addition, challenges that are brought about by cultural and linguistic differences in humour are examined, as well as shared couple humour. In this context, I also explore an aspect that many of the couples report as typical of the manner in which they communicate, namely the use of playful language, for instance by inventing words or imitating accents, as all of this is usually done in a humorous key. In the final chapter (chapter 11), I then provide a short overview of the most important findings of my analysis, and discuss the implications of these results for future research.