Code-switching could thus be seen as one of the characteristics that defines life in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, for visitors and its residents. Concerning two different episodes from a Lebanese talk show, the question posed in the given paper is whether, the topic of a conversation or speech influences the usage of code switching by Lebanese native speakers with regard to, for example, frequency or type of their code-switching. Therefore, I also want to look at why a speaker could do code-switching when talking about certain topics.
Arabic is the most widely spoken language by the six million inhabitants of Lebanon, as article 11 of its Constitution states, “Arabic is the official national language. A law determines the cases in which the French language may be used.” Due to the fact that Lebanon was under French rule during the first half of the 20th century (1918-1948), French is unsurprisingly used as a second language today. Nevertheless, since “English is seen as the language of business, technology and communications with the non-Arab world”, it is increasingly gaining status in Lebanon and especially among the younger generation. As a consequence, Arabic, French and English are frequently mixed in written and spoken language. When observing Lebanese television, it even seems as if the English-Arabic code-switching is steadily increasing a few years.
In contrast to the comparatively abundant research on code-switching between Arabic and English (or any other language), whereby the focus here is often on dialects from greater nations like Egypt, Algeria or Saudi-Arabia, research on code-switching between the dialect of the smallest Arabic nation Lebanon and English is rather limited. One of the reasons therefore could be the fact that English was only introduced to schools in Lebanon in the 21st century. The consequence for this is that Lebanon will still be associated with French as its lingua franca, although an increasing number of Lebanese people are speaking English.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Code-switching: theoretical background
2.1 Lebanon’s history of language
2.2 Definition of code-switching
2.3 The Markedness Model by Carol Myers-Scotton (1993) and the Communication Accommodation Theory by Howard Giles
2.4 Linguistic variable
2.5 Previous findings
3. Methodology
4. Analysis and results
5. Discussion
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This study explores the prevalence and patterns of English-Arabic code-switching among Lebanese native speakers within the context of the entertainment talk show "Lahon w bas." By analyzing conversations from two specific episodes, the research seeks to determine whether conversational topics influence the frequency and type of code-switching employed by the host and his guests.
- The linguistic impact of specific conversational topics (e.g., school, social media, taboos) on code-switching.
- Distinction between intra-sentential, inter-sentential, and extra-sentential code-switching patterns.
- Application of the Markedness Model and Communication Accommodation Theory in a Lebanese media setting.
- Comparative analysis of code-switching trends with existing research on bilingual communication.
Excerpt from the Book
Extract 2:
H: . . . Marte la7 tusrofa 2akid 2abel ma to5las el problem . . . Bas el talamiz hayda el 2eyem, ma 3layon stress . . . Iza final Champions League, fursa. Iza concert la Julia, ifede. . . .
‘H: . . . My wife would spend it (100 Dollars) before the problem is solved . . . But the students today do not have stress . . . When there is the final Champions League, they get a day off from school. When there is Julia’s concert, they will get a certificate. . . .’
Also in extract 2, one can only identify intra-sentential code-switching to English. In nearly every sentence about the positive aspects of school, he switches to English. Again, as it is the case in extract 1, the words used in English are all nouns, which (almost) all can be placed in the category “school” or “children’s daily life”. In the course of his speech, it seems very common and not unusual to use English or French words when speaking about school in Lebanon.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the linguistic situation in Lebanon, highlighting the multilingual environment and the research gap regarding Lebanese-English code-switching in television media.
2. Code-switching: theoretical background: This section provides a historical overview of language in Lebanon and defines essential terminology, including the Markedness Model and Communication Accommodation Theory.
3. Methodology: The author details the selection criteria for the talk show "Lahon w bas" and explains the qualitative approach used to analyze specific episodes.
4. Analysis and results: This chapter presents the data gathered from the selected episodes, focusing on the categorization of switches and the linguistic variables identified.
5. Discussion: The findings are discussed in the context of the theoretical framework and compared with previous studies on code-switching in Arab countries.
6. Conclusion: This chapter summarizes the results, confirming that topic influence is a significant factor in code-switching behavior, while acknowledging the limitations of the small sample size.
Keywords
Code-switching, Lebanon, Lebanese dialect, English, Arabic, Communication Accommodation Theory, Markedness Model, Talk show, Sociolinguistics, Bilingualism, Intra-sentential, Inter-sentential, Social media, Education, Media discourse.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper investigates the phenomenon of English-Arabic code-switching among Lebanese native speakers, specifically examining how conversational topics in a talk show influence language alternation.
Which central theories are applied in this work?
The study utilizes Carol Myers-Scotton’s Markedness Model and Howard Giles’s Communication Accommodation Theory to analyze the social and linguistic motivations behind code-switching.
What is the main objective of the analysis?
The aim is to determine if the specific topic being discussed—such as school life or social media—affects the frequency and type of code-switching performed by the participants.
What methodology does the author employ?
The author performs a qualitative conversational analysis on two specific episodes of the Lebanese satire program "Lahon w bas," examining the transcriptions for instances of switching.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
It covers the historical development of the Lebanese linguistic landscape, a technical definition of code-switching types, and a detailed analysis of extracted statements from the chosen talk show episodes.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Code-switching, Lebanese dialect, Sociolinguistics, Communication Accommodation Theory, and bilingual communication in media.
Why did the author choose "Lahon w bas" for the study?
The show was selected because it is one of the few Lebanese programs that primarily uses the Lebanese dialect, providing a more authentic and spontaneous environment for observing code-switching compared to shows using standard Arabic.
How does the topic of "taboos" influence the results?
The analysis suggests that speakers often switch to English when discussing taboo or sensitive topics to avoid the cultural discomfort associated with using certain Arabic terminology.
What role does the "Communication Accommodation Theory" play in the findings?
It explains the "convergence" observed, where participants in the talk show tend to mirror each other's code-switching to English, thereby reducing social distance during the conversation.
What is the significance of "nouns" in the linguistic analysis?
The study found that nouns associated with specific domains, like "school" or "social media," were the most frequently switched word category, suggesting a strong lexical influence of English in these areas.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Nevin Baidoun (Autor:in), 2018, Code-switching in Lebanese Talk Shows, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1042136
