English and Sinhala bilingualism in Sri Lanka

Bibliographic Data

ID2895449
AuthorsChitra Fernando (Macquarie University, corresponding author)
Year1977
Volume6
Issue3
Pages341-360
Publication date1977-12-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLanguage in Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0047-4045 • E-ISSN: 1469-8013
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0047404500005054
OpenAlexW2112001440
LanguageEN
Citations received15
References cited4

This study describes the language situation of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and examines the factors governing the language choice of Sinhalese bilinguals while attempting to correlate such factors with domains and role relations. It also examines the way in which such correlations reflect social differences in Sri Lankan society. The use of two languages by the same speakers almost inevitably affects the forms of the languages so used. The use of English by Sinhalese speakers has led to the functional elaboration of both English and Sinhala. Bilinguals show varying degrees of proficiency in the languages they use. Such disparities in performance have led to differing patterns of bilingualism manifested in different phonological and grammatical features. Materials are drawn from the English of newspapers, fiction, drama, poetry etc. and personal knowledge. (Language as a class indicator; bilingualism; conflict of speech norms; Sri Lankan English

Art · Ceylon · Drama · Linguistics · Literature · Media studies · Neuroscience of multilingualism · Newspaper · Pidgin · Sociology · History · Linguistics, Language Diversity, and Identity · Multilingual Education and Policy · Psychology

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