Cassandra Smith-Christmas
Biographic Data
| ID | 2080110 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Cassandra Smith-Christmas |
| GIVEN NAMES | Cassandra |
| FAMILY NAME | Smith-Christmas |
| SIGNATURE | SMITH-CHRISTMAS C |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of the Highlands and Islands |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-6699-1834 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 14 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 59 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 14 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2022 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Double-voicing and rubber ducks
Through analysis of a video recording of two bilingual siblings playing with rubber ducks, this article explores the concept that imaginative play can serve as a potential site for language shift. The article argues that the siblings use English as a means to ‘double voice’ (Bakhtin, M. M. (1981[1963]). The Dialogic Imagination (C. Emerson and M. Holquist). Austin: University of Texas Press) their imaginary narrative, thus transmuting the adult w…
Using a ‘Family Language Policy’ lens to explore the dynamic and relational nature of child agency
This article contributes to a dialogue between childhood studies and the sociolinguistic subfield ‘Family Language Policy’ (‘FLP’). The article argues that the two fields provide complementary vantage points for exploring child agency. It explains a revised version of a model I developed to conceptualise child agency in FLP, consisting of four intersecting dimensions: compliance regimes; linguistic norms; linguistic competence and generational po…
Right an turn agadsa
Our cat has the power’
This article examines how power and solidarity in family relations are negotiated along linguistic lines, and in particular, the role of a third language in this negotiation process. It takes as its case study a transnational family in Ireland who practise a strongly pro-Polish FLP and where the parents are seen as authorities in Polish and their daughters are seen as authorities in English, the dominant societal language. The paper takes a micro…
How to turn the tide
A Kind of Success Story
This article scrutinizes the concept of “success” in family language policy (henceforth FLP). Situated in three large-scale ethnographic projects, we center on the lived experiences of a parent in three families negotiating a pro-minority language FLP. These parents’ experiences are embedded in different sociopolitical contexts: an immigrant context (Turkish in the Netherlands); an autochthonous minority language context (Gaelic in Scotland); and…
When X doesn't mark the spot
This article discusses the reflexive relationship between language shift and identity in the case of Scottish Gaelic on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, demonstrating how (Fishman, Joshua A. 1991.Reversing language shift. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.) concept of X versus Y as related tolanguageis problematic in this particular context. The article posits that in many ways, the processes by which Gaelic has been alienated from a sense of Scottish id…
One Cas , Two Cas ’
The aim of this article is to illustrate the fluid nature of family language policy (FLP) and how the realities of any one FLP are re-negotiated by caregivers and children in tandem. In particular, the paper will focus on the affective dimensions of FLP and will demonstrate how the same reality – in this case, a grandmother’s use of a child-centred discourse style as a means to encouraging her grandchildren to use their minority language, Scottis…
Is it really for talking?’
This paper examines how caregivers in a bilingual family discursively link Gaelic to a school context when interacting with Maggie, an eight year-old who is currently enrolled in Gaelic Medium Education on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. The paper argues that the caregivers achieve this discursive framing primarily through treating Gaelic as a performance language and through orienting to discourses that de-normatise Maggie’s use of her minority lang…
Regression on the fused lect continuum? Discourse markers in Scottish Gaelic-English speech
Baal/CUP Seminar 2014
On 29 and 30 May 2014, this seminar was hosted at Lews Castle College, University of the Highlands and Islands and organised by BAAL member Dr Cassie Smith-Christmas. In total, there were 16 participants from 13 universities across the UK. A total of nine papers were delivered over the two days and an hour-long roundtable was held at the close of the seminar. Keynote speakers were Professor Rosamond Mitchell (University of Southampton) and Profes…
Complementary reversing language shift strategies in education
Heritage learners of minority languages can play a lynchpin role in reversing language shift (RLS) in their families; however, in order to enact this role, they must first overcome certain barriers to re-integrate the minority language into the home domain. Using a combination of conversation and narrative analysis methods, we demonstrate how both enacting this lynchpin role, as well as the specific barriers to its enactment, unfolds at the micro…
Being socialised into language shift
This paper examines a family language policy (FLP) in the context of an extended bilingual Gaelic-English family on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. It demonstrates how certain family members (namely, the children's mother and paternal grandmother) negotiate and reify a strongly Gaelic-centred FLP. It then discusses how other extended family members (the children's father, his sister and brother) occasionally participate in this Gaelic-centred FLP; ho…
Gaelic on the Isle of Skye
This article examines age and identity in the context of language shift occurring in a community on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Via a language ability test and a language usage survey, 19 speakers were assessed; it was determined that the older (40+) and the younger speakers (<40) in this community are distinguishable on the basis of language ability, particularly in terms of synthetic forms, conditional forms, and post-nominal possession. The us…
Being socialised into language shift
This paper examines a family language policy (FLP) in the context of an extended bilingual Gaelic-English family on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. It demonstrates how certain family members (namely, the children's mother and paternal grandmother) negotiate and reify a strongly Gaelic-centred FLP. It then discusses how other extended family members (the children's father, his sister and brother) occasionally participate in this Gaelic-centred FLP; ho…
One Cas , Two Cas ’
The aim of this article is to illustrate the fluid nature of family language policy (FLP) and how the realities of any one FLP are re-negotiated by caregivers and children in tandem. In particular, the paper will focus on the affective dimensions of FLP and will demonstrate how the same reality – in this case, a grandmother’s use of a child-centred discourse style as a means to encouraging her grandchildren to use their minority language, Scottis…
Is it really for talking?’
This paper examines how caregivers in a bilingual family discursively link Gaelic to a school context when interacting with Maggie, an eight year-old who is currently enrolled in Gaelic Medium Education on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. The paper argues that the caregivers achieve this discursive framing primarily through treating Gaelic as a performance language and through orienting to discourses that de-normatise Maggie’s use of her minority lang…
Complementary reversing language shift strategies in education
Heritage learners of minority languages can play a lynchpin role in reversing language shift (RLS) in their families; however, in order to enact this role, they must first overcome certain barriers to re-integrate the minority language into the home domain. Using a combination of conversation and narrative analysis methods, we demonstrate how both enacting this lynchpin role, as well as the specific barriers to its enactment, unfolds at the micro…
When X doesn't mark the spot
This article discusses the reflexive relationship between language shift and identity in the case of Scottish Gaelic on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, demonstrating how (Fishman, Joshua A. 1991.Reversing language shift. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.) concept of X versus Y as related tolanguageis problematic in this particular context. The article posits that in many ways, the processes by which Gaelic has been alienated from a sense of Scottish id…
How to turn the tide
Right an turn agadsa
Gaelic on the Isle of Skye
This article examines age and identity in the context of language shift occurring in a community on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Via a language ability test and a language usage survey, 19 speakers were assessed; it was determined that the older (40+) and the younger speakers (<40) in this community are distinguishable on the basis of language ability, particularly in terms of synthetic forms, conditional forms, and post-nominal possession. The us…
Our cat has the power’
This article examines how power and solidarity in family relations are negotiated along linguistic lines, and in particular, the role of a third language in this negotiation process. It takes as its case study a transnational family in Ireland who practise a strongly pro-Polish FLP and where the parents are seen as authorities in Polish and their daughters are seen as authorities in English, the dominant societal language. The paper takes a micro…
Regression on the fused lect continuum? Discourse markers in Scottish Gaelic-English speech
Gaelic on the Isle of Skye
This article examines age and identity in the context of language shift occurring in a community on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Via a language ability test and a language usage survey, 19 speakers were assessed; it was determined that the older (40+) and the younger speakers (<40) in this community are distinguishable on the basis of language ability, particularly in terms of synthetic forms, conditional forms, and post-nominal possession. The us…
Complementary reversing language shift strategies in education
Heritage learners of minority languages can play a lynchpin role in reversing language shift (RLS) in their families; however, in order to enact this role, they must first overcome certain barriers to re-integrate the minority language into the home domain. Using a combination of conversation and narrative analysis methods, we demonstrate how both enacting this lynchpin role, as well as the specific barriers to its enactment, unfolds at the micro…
Being socialised into language shift
This paper examines a family language policy (FLP) in the context of an extended bilingual Gaelic-English family on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. It demonstrates how certain family members (namely, the children's mother and paternal grandmother) negotiate and reify a strongly Gaelic-centred FLP. It then discusses how other extended family members (the children's father, his sister and brother) occasionally participate in this Gaelic-centred FLP; ho…
Baal/CUP Seminar 2014
On 29 and 30 May 2014, this seminar was hosted at Lews Castle College, University of the Highlands and Islands and organised by BAAL member Dr Cassie Smith-Christmas. In total, there were 16 participants from 13 universities across the UK. A total of nine papers were delivered over the two days and an hour-long roundtable was held at the close of the seminar. Keynote speakers were Professor Rosamond Mitchell (University of Southampton) and Profes…
Is it really for talking?’
This paper examines how caregivers in a bilingual family discursively link Gaelic to a school context when interacting with Maggie, an eight year-old who is currently enrolled in Gaelic Medium Education on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. The paper argues that the caregivers achieve this discursive framing primarily through treating Gaelic as a performance language and through orienting to discourses that de-normatise Maggie’s use of her minority lang…
Regression on the fused lect continuum? Discourse markers in Scottish Gaelic-English speech
One Cas , Two Cas ’
The aim of this article is to illustrate the fluid nature of family language policy (FLP) and how the realities of any one FLP are re-negotiated by caregivers and children in tandem. In particular, the paper will focus on the affective dimensions of FLP and will demonstrate how the same reality – in this case, a grandmother’s use of a child-centred discourse style as a means to encouraging her grandchildren to use their minority language, Scottis…
A Kind of Success Story
This article scrutinizes the concept of “success” in family language policy (henceforth FLP). Situated in three large-scale ethnographic projects, we center on the lived experiences of a parent in three families negotiating a pro-minority language FLP. These parents’ experiences are embedded in different sociopolitical contexts: an immigrant context (Turkish in the Netherlands); an autochthonous minority language context (Gaelic in Scotland); and…
When X doesn't mark the spot
This article discusses the reflexive relationship between language shift and identity in the case of Scottish Gaelic on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, demonstrating how (Fishman, Joshua A. 1991.Reversing language shift. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.) concept of X versus Y as related tolanguageis problematic in this particular context. The article posits that in many ways, the processes by which Gaelic has been alienated from a sense of Scottish id…
How to turn the tide
Our cat has the power’
This article examines how power and solidarity in family relations are negotiated along linguistic lines, and in particular, the role of a third language in this negotiation process. It takes as its case study a transnational family in Ireland who practise a strongly pro-Polish FLP and where the parents are seen as authorities in Polish and their daughters are seen as authorities in English, the dominant societal language. The paper takes a micro…
Double-voicing and rubber ducks
Through analysis of a video recording of two bilingual siblings playing with rubber ducks, this article explores the concept that imaginative play can serve as a potential site for language shift. The article argues that the siblings use English as a means to ‘double voice’ (Bakhtin, M. M. (1981[1963]). The Dialogic Imagination (C. Emerson and M. Holquist). Austin: University of Texas Press) their imaginary narrative, thus transmuting the adult w…
Using a ‘Family Language Policy’ lens to explore the dynamic and relational nature of child agency
This article contributes to a dialogue between childhood studies and the sociolinguistic subfield ‘Family Language Policy’ (‘FLP’). The article argues that the two fields provide complementary vantage points for exploring child agency. It explains a revised version of a model I developed to conceptualise child agency in FLP, consisting of four intersecting dimensions: compliance regimes; linguistic norms; linguistic competence and generational po…
Right an turn agadsa
Multilingual Education and Policy (14 works) · Sociology (13 works) · Linguistics (12 works) · Linguistic Variation and Morphology (9 works) · Psychology (9 works) · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies (7 works) · Philosophy (6 works) · Computer Science (5 works) · History (5 works) · Pedagogy (5 works)