A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Code-Switching in Rwanda
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20406607 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Heli Habyarimana (University of South Africa, corresponding author), Evariste Ntakirutimana (0000-0003-1242-3484, University of Rwanda), Lawrie Barnes (0000-0001-7555-8146, University of South Africa) |
| Year | 2017 |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 49-72 |
| Publication date | 2017-09-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Language Matters (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1022-8195 • E-ISSN: 1753-5395 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10228195.2017.1413127 |
| OpenAlex | W2792889842 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 14 |
This article examines the social motivations that prompt Rwandan bilinguals to code-switch from Kinyarwanda to English, French and/or Kiswahili. The data were collected via ethnographic non-participant observation, oral interviews, focus group discussions and shorthand notes techniques. Examples of code-switching were examined and interpreted within Myers-Scotton’s Markedness Model, which was adopted as the theoretical framework for the study. The research findings were classified in terms of Myers-Scotton’s maxims of the sequential unmarked choice, code-switching itself as the unmarked choice, the marked choice and the exploratory choice, respectively. The main social factors that influence code-switching among Rwandan bilinguals were identified as signalling educated status; expressing different social identities; demonstrating measures of power, authority and prestige; narrowing or widening social distance; and maintaining relationships. These results support the hypothesis that code-switching is a strategy to maximise benefits for the interlocutors in a given conversation
Code-switching · Conversation · Ethnography · Linguistics · Markedness · Participant observation · Prestige · Social science · Sociology · Anthropology · Communication · Computer Science · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Multilingual Education and Policy · Psychology · Social Psychology
African languages
Sociolinguistics
Social Motivations For Codeswitching
Language alternation and conversational repair in bilingual conversation
Medium repair vs. other-language repair
Langage et pouvoir symbolique
Language policy, multilingual education, and power in Rwanda
Language and Society in Africa
The classification of the Bantu languages
Sociolinguistic Patterns
Linguistic identities in talk-in-interaction
Medium request
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0.33 |
| Citation span | 2023 - 2023 (1) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |