Linguistic interplay between Yoruba and English

English Today ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-53
Author(s):  
Grace Ebunlola Adamo
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Code Switching ◽  
Important Data ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The Social ◽  
British Colonization ◽  
The Future ◽  
Yoruba Language ◽  
Local Languages

The purpose of this paper is to foreground the extent to which the English language has eroded the originality and purity of the Yoruba language. The main focus will be on code-switching practices, which I believe to be detrimental to Yoruba in the long run. Although linguists have long proposed a ‘leave-your-language-alone’ attitude (see Hall, 1950), there is little doubt that the effects of first British colonization and then globalization have changed the linguistic ecology of Africa. Few sociolinguists would deny that a people's language is a symbol of their identity and culture. In an important textbook in the field, Holmes (1992: 70) confirms that ‘Language is an important component of identity and culture for many groups, maintaining their distinct identity and culture is usually important to … self esteem.’ What are we then to make of the extensive code-switching that I will be documenting in this article? Linguists' tolerance has certainly extended to code-switching studies in Africa, from which much important data has been drawn. The main scholar in this area is Carol Myers-Scotton, whose two books on code-switching (1993a,b) were based primarily on her research in Africa and remain central to the field internationally. Scholars like Coupland and Jaworski (1997) propose that the use of mixed speech in a conversation is not necessarily a language defect but a sign of flexibility and creativity. Understanding the social, psycholinguistic and syntactic motivations for switching is one thing, but the applied linguist and educationist also has to ask serious questions about what this means for the future of local languages heavily implicated in code-switching.

scholarly journals Needs analysis of English for mechanical engineers in the Vietnamese context

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Tinh Le
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Spare Parts ◽  
Code Switching ◽  
Needs Analysis ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Technical Drawing ◽  
The Social ◽  
World English

<p>This study examines the English language needs of mechanical engineers in Vietnam. A high demand for proficiency in English is increasing in ASEAN countries, including Vietnam. Vietnam in general and the important field of mechanical engineering, in particular, attracts many foreign investors and multinational organisations and this creates plurilingual and pluricultural workplaces where English is used as a lingua franca.  Drawing on sociolinguistic theory, this pragmatic mixed method needs analysis study examines the English language communication needs of Vietnamese mechanical engineers at four workplaces in Vietnam. It investigates the kinds of real-world English skills required by Vietnamese mechanical engineers to function effectively in the workplace, the social factors that affect the use of English and the effects of breakdowns or other issues in communication in English. It draws on needs analysis models which have evolved from English for Specific Purposes, including those devised by Munby (1978) and more recently by The Common European Framework (CEF) Professional Profiles to establish key communicative events. To answer the study’s pragmatic questions about language use for practical purposes in the lingua franca, plurilingual and pluricultural workplace it also borrows from the theoretically eclectic model of the Wellington Workplace Project, a model grounded in the first language context (L1), and other more sociological studies of the relationship of language and power in international workplaces.  The study employed questionnaire, semi-structured interview and observation for data collection. Questionnaires were completed by 22 managers of mechanical engineers and 71 professional mechanical engineers. Based on the initial questionnaire analysis, 12 participants from the two groups took part in the follow-up semi-structured interviews. Observations in four worksites provided rich data about the real-world use of English.  The findings indicated a high frequency of English language use and the range of real-world English required by Vietnamese mechanical engineers for a range of communicative events including ordering spare parts, interpreting technical drawing and bidding for contracts. Mechanical engineers needed plurilingual and pluricultural competence to negotiate a range of accent, intonation and idiom in the lingua franca and plurilingual context. Minimal use of functional occupational language was sometimes sufficient for communication for the purpose of ‘getting things done’, but not always. Communication issues had financial consequences for the company, sometimes disastrous ones. Looking at the findings through the lens of arising communication issues helped to reveal some of the underlying power relationships in the workplace and some negative impacts on workplace solidarity.  These findings demonstrate the urgency of the need for increased English language skills for mechanical engineers in Vietnam and for the wider economy of Vietnam. English was found to function as a source of ‘expert power’ and in a wider implication this revealed a hidden or ‘shadow’ power structure within the workplace affected by English language proficiency. People were empowered when they possessed a good level of English, which could help them save not only their own face but also the face of the company.  More positively adaptive communicative strategies helped both mechanical engineers and their managers avoid communication issues. Adapting language for the purpose of ‘getting things done’ in turn interacted with low and high solidarity relationships. There was arguably an acceptance of a level of rudeness or abruptness in these workplace contexts. A high tolerance for the need to negotiate meaning in what could be described as not only a lingua franca but also a ‘poor English’ workplace context was sometimes observed. This tolerance sometimes but not always extended to the mobility of plurilingual repertoires such as code-switching, and some code-switching into Vietnamese was also observed on the part of long-term foreign managers. Humour also emerged as a dimension of high solidarity longer-term workplace relationships between Vietnamese mechanical engineers and foreign managers, even when all parties had limited English.  The study argues that understanding why mechanical engineers needed specific types of English and the effect of the social dimensions of this language could help lessen issues in communication. The consequences of miscommunication should be addressed in the English-language training process. Students should be strategically prepared to meet the the high communication demands of the lingua franca and plurilingual workplace which requires both English for technical communication and English for social communication.</p>

scholarly journals Peran Syukur sebagai Moderator Pengaruh Perbandingan Sosial terhadap Self-esteem pada Remaja Pengguna Media Sosial

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 197
Author(s):  
Johan Satria Putra
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Data Analysis ◽  
Social Comparison ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
The Self ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Future ◽  
State Scale

<p>Adolescents consistently compare themselves with others they see on social media. This habit can bring up in them a sense of envy or inferiority, which then can lead to a decrease in self-esteem. Therefore, it is necessary to have aspects that can increase their confidence and optimism, including in term of spirituality, their sense of gratitude. The purpose of this study was to see the role of gratitude as moderating variable in the influence of social comparison on the self-esteem of social media adolescent users. The research was conducted using social comparison scale of Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orien­tation Scale (INCOM), gratitude scale, and self-esteem state scale, which were distributed to 200 social media adolescent users in DKI Jakarta, were involved through incidental sampling. The results of data analysis showed that there was a significant role of gratitude in influencing social comparison to change these participants’ self-esteem. The sense of gratitude served to increase these adolescents’ self-esteem, which previously decreased as a result of social comparison. This study had a number of weaknesses in the use of the instruments, especially the social comparison scale. Any similar study in the future is expected to focus more on one kind of social media.</p>

The use of English in the social network of a student in South China

English Today ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 19-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Werner Botha
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Code Switching ◽  
Language Varieties ◽  
Chinese University ◽  
The Social ◽  
National University

Many Chinese university students are bilingual or multilingual, increasingly switching between various Chinese language varieties and the English language (Bolton, 2013; Botha, 2014, Bolton & Botha, 2015). Bolton and Botha (2015) reported that undergraduate students at a national university in China used English for a range of social activities including ‘reading’, ‘Internet searches’, ‘online socialising’ and ‘socializing with friends’, among others. There is a need to investigate the extent to which these students actually use English in these contexts, especially in the productive use of the English language in their social lives. In examining such practices, the following questions are addressed in this article: (i) How is the English language used in the personal life of a student in Southern China; (ii) What are some of the functions of spoken and written English-Chinese code-mixing and switching between members of this student's social network; and (iii) What kind of social information is conveyed through the use of English in this student's social network? In order to examine the sociolinguistic reality of language use by these students, this article explores some of the social dynamics underlying the emerging use of English-Chinese code-switching and mixing within a particular social network: that of ‘Natalie’, a Chinese university student who speaks Putonghua (Mandarin, as a first language) and members within her social network, conversing within a range of modalities. This case study focuses in particular on the use of English-Chinese code-switching and mixing practices, and the extent to which these communicative practices are shaped by various social factors, ranging from the status of English as a perceived ‘international’ language, to aspects of stance and the affective quality of the relationships between members in this social network, to the intertextual nature of many of the linguistic instances to these practices.

scholarly journals The Lexical Trend of Backward Speech among Filipino Millenials on Facebook

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-54
Author(s):  
Bethany Marie Cabantac-Lumabi
Keyword(s):  
Optimality Theory ◽  
English Language ◽  
Social World ◽  
Digital Natives ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
Lexical Analysis ◽  
Language Form ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Future

Purpose: This study is an attempt to understand how Millenials use backward speech on their Facebook statuses and how their lexicon is incorporated into a grammar of novel items in English in the Philippines. Methodology/ Approach: Facebook statuses with the two trending backward speeches such as “lodi” and “werpa” are the inputs of this study since they top the list of more than 20 Tagalog slang words for everyday use of modern Filipinos. Through the Optimality Theory (Mc Carty, 2007; Prince & Smolensky, 2004) process and lexical analysis, these backward speeches were classified by literature as speech disguise, joke, and euphemism, while the hashtags are basically tags used to categorize conversations between users. Findings: Despite its limitations, the results of the study describe and record a different form of Philippine English on Facebook that occurs from the optimal satisfaction of conflicting constraints. Evidently, the #werpa and #lodi are more contemporary and considerable internet slang (e.g. backward speech) for Philippine Millenials, who are active on posting their Facebook statuses to enhance group exclusivity. Its meanings are based on the context of the Facebook posts rooted in social connections. This unrestricted form of grammar of Facebook users in the Philippines is moving around the social world for years because of its consistent use online. Conclusion: As the English language form changes more quickly, technologies continue to develop and allow the transmission of new set of Philippine slang to pass from Millenials to the future digital natives. The interest of the study on lexical trends reveals optimal aspects of grammatical phenomena which identify and order words based on their growing use.

Individual variation in attitudes towards Chinese-English code-switching

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Liu
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Language Use ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Language Attitudes ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Code Switching ◽  
High Status ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
The Social ◽  
Quantitative Analyses

Abstract This paper aims to improve our understanding of the social psychology of code-switching by investigating societal attitudes towards two types of Chinese-English code-switching, insertions of English words in Chinese sentences and switching to English at clausal boundaries in Chinese. It examines how subjects’ evaluation of code-switching is influenced by their general language attitudes and language use associated with network exposure. The subjects were recruited from four different cities in mainland China. They participated in an online perception experiment and completed a socio-biographical questionnaire. Quantitative analyses show that clausal switching was rated as the least likable CS mode, but at the same time was considered as having high status as an indication of high English proficiency. Their evaluation was mainly influenced by their general attitudes towards English language and culture. Network exposure also played a marginal role, affecting their judgement of the speaker’s English proficiency.

“What Is Royalty Without a Voice?” The Performance of Power in The King’s Speech

Pólemos ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mara Logaldo
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Complex Dynamics ◽  
Expert Power ◽  
Social Scale ◽  
Legitimate Power ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Status ◽  
The One ◽  
Received Pronunciation

AbstractThe core subject of The King’s Speech (Tom Hooper, 2010) is the relation between voice and power. In the first place, we have the speech impediment of the Duke of York (the future George VI) and his subsequent inability to deliver effectual messages to the nation in a particularly dramatic phase in history. This failure highlights, by contrast, the identification of monarchy with voice. The film actually shows how the performative power of speech became crucial after the invention of the wireless. The BBC, as George V stated on his death bed, had turned kings into actors: elocution could either make or unmake them. Yet, these are only some facets of the complex dynamics by which language and power are interrelated in the film. Another important issue is the form of verbal exchange between doctor and patient, which enacts a wavering between two kinds of authority, the one possessed by right (legitimate power) and the one acquired by study and experience (expert power). Emphasis is also placed on standard English as the language traditionally associated with higher education, political supremacy and prestige. The importance given to Received Pronunciation and the contempt shown towards other language variants proves how deeply embedded in language power is. Though amiably, even the ironic remarks on conversational rules made by Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother, finally confirm the status quo, putting things and people back into place on the social scale. This is also, ultimately, the policy of the BBC, the institution that has been invested with the task of preserving, at the same time, British national identity and the purity of the English language.

scholarly journals Cover, Content, and Editorial Note from Anterior J Vol. 18 No. 2 June 2019

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chief Editor Of Anterior J
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Editorial Note ◽  
Islamic Studies ◽  
Editorial Boards ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Future ◽  
The University

Assalamu�alaikum Wr. Wb.Dear reader, now ANTERIOR JURNAL re-published on Volume 18 Issue 2 June 2019. The success of this publication is the result of good cooperation of all parties who maintain the publishing sustainability twice a year. This edition is also our latest edition, publishing articles with a multidisciplinary scope, starting from volume 19 Issue 1 December 2019, all articles in the ANTERIOR JURNAL are only focused on the Social-Humanities scope, covering all fields of education, social and political, Islamic studies and other relevant topics. In this edition, we are still publishing four articles in the field of agrotechnology and engineering, which will be the last time we publish articles in the field of science at the ANTERIOR JURNAL.Alhamdulillah, from this edition ANTERIOR JURNAL achieved a new milestone by publishing two English-language articles. We hope this will be a step forward for the future internationalization of the Journal.The publication of ANTERIOR JURNAL certainly participates in disseminating the results of research and review of science and technology development conducted by lecturers and researchers especially from UM Palangkaraya and other universities.This edition contains 12 articles consisting of Education, Social and Political, Islamic Studies, Engineering, and Agrotechnology topics. Editorial boards are fully aware that there is still room for improvement in this edition, hence with all humility willing to accept constructive suggestions and feedback for improvements to the publication for the next editions.The editorial board would like to thank the University, all editors and reviewers, and contributors of the scientific articles who have provided the repertoire in this issue. We hope that all parties, especially the contributors of the articles, could re-participate for the success of the publication in the next edition in December 2019. Wassalamu�alaikum Wr. Wb.

scholarly journals Needs analysis of English for mechanical engineers in the Vietnamese context

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Tinh Le
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Spare Parts ◽  
Code Switching ◽  
Needs Analysis ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Technical Drawing ◽  
The Social ◽  
World English

<p>This study examines the English language needs of mechanical engineers in Vietnam. A high demand for proficiency in English is increasing in ASEAN countries, including Vietnam. Vietnam in general and the important field of mechanical engineering, in particular, attracts many foreign investors and multinational organisations and this creates plurilingual and pluricultural workplaces where English is used as a lingua franca.  Drawing on sociolinguistic theory, this pragmatic mixed method needs analysis study examines the English language communication needs of Vietnamese mechanical engineers at four workplaces in Vietnam. It investigates the kinds of real-world English skills required by Vietnamese mechanical engineers to function effectively in the workplace, the social factors that affect the use of English and the effects of breakdowns or other issues in communication in English. It draws on needs analysis models which have evolved from English for Specific Purposes, including those devised by Munby (1978) and more recently by The Common European Framework (CEF) Professional Profiles to establish key communicative events. To answer the study’s pragmatic questions about language use for practical purposes in the lingua franca, plurilingual and pluricultural workplace it also borrows from the theoretically eclectic model of the Wellington Workplace Project, a model grounded in the first language context (L1), and other more sociological studies of the relationship of language and power in international workplaces.  The study employed questionnaire, semi-structured interview and observation for data collection. Questionnaires were completed by 22 managers of mechanical engineers and 71 professional mechanical engineers. Based on the initial questionnaire analysis, 12 participants from the two groups took part in the follow-up semi-structured interviews. Observations in four worksites provided rich data about the real-world use of English.  The findings indicated a high frequency of English language use and the range of real-world English required by Vietnamese mechanical engineers for a range of communicative events including ordering spare parts, interpreting technical drawing and bidding for contracts. Mechanical engineers needed plurilingual and pluricultural competence to negotiate a range of accent, intonation and idiom in the lingua franca and plurilingual context. Minimal use of functional occupational language was sometimes sufficient for communication for the purpose of ‘getting things done’, but not always. Communication issues had financial consequences for the company, sometimes disastrous ones. Looking at the findings through the lens of arising communication issues helped to reveal some of the underlying power relationships in the workplace and some negative impacts on workplace solidarity.  These findings demonstrate the urgency of the need for increased English language skills for mechanical engineers in Vietnam and for the wider economy of Vietnam. English was found to function as a source of ‘expert power’ and in a wider implication this revealed a hidden or ‘shadow’ power structure within the workplace affected by English language proficiency. People were empowered when they possessed a good level of English, which could help them save not only their own face but also the face of the company.  More positively adaptive communicative strategies helped both mechanical engineers and their managers avoid communication issues. Adapting language for the purpose of ‘getting things done’ in turn interacted with low and high solidarity relationships. There was arguably an acceptance of a level of rudeness or abruptness in these workplace contexts. A high tolerance for the need to negotiate meaning in what could be described as not only a lingua franca but also a ‘poor English’ workplace context was sometimes observed. This tolerance sometimes but not always extended to the mobility of plurilingual repertoires such as code-switching, and some code-switching into Vietnamese was also observed on the part of long-term foreign managers. Humour also emerged as a dimension of high solidarity longer-term workplace relationships between Vietnamese mechanical engineers and foreign managers, even when all parties had limited English.  The study argues that understanding why mechanical engineers needed specific types of English and the effect of the social dimensions of this language could help lessen issues in communication. The consequences of miscommunication should be addressed in the English-language training process. Students should be strategically prepared to meet the the high communication demands of the lingua franca and plurilingual workplace which requires both English for technical communication and English for social communication.</p>

scholarly journals Informal care of the elderly in Sweden – Carers’ situation

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 66-77
Author(s):  
Björn Albin ◽  
Christina Siwertsson ◽  
Jan-Olof Svensson
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Informal Care ◽  
English Language ◽  
Elderly Care ◽  
National Development ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
The Public ◽  
English Language Journal ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Future

Informal care of the elderly (often given by a relative or a spouse) plays an important role in most societies. This article describes the situation and support for carers that exist in Sweden today and how this may develop in the future. The description is partly based on the results from the evaluation of a government supported project (‘Anhörig 300’) aimed to develop support for carers in the county of Kronoberg as well as from information and documents. Four different typical situations for carers are identified and indicate how very different situations for carers can be. During the 21st century the Swedish Government has given great attention to support for carers, mainly through changes in the legislation and through economic grants to the municipalities. In the future the support for carers must be given even greater attention and be developed further. The National Development Plan for Nursing and Care of the elderly in Sweden, from 2005, suggested increased support for carers as a complement to the public sector elderly care. From 2009 the Social Services Act has been changed in accordance with this plan. A key issue is to involve voluntary organisations to alleviate isolation and loneliness among carers. An earlier version of the following article was first published in Japanese in Chiiki Fukushi Kenkyu (Studies of Community Welfare), 2008; 36; 72-83. It has since been revised and updated for publication in an English language journal. 

Current Postvention Research and Priorities for the Future

Crisis ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 202-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Andriessen ◽  
Dolores Angela Castelli Dransart ◽  
Julie Cerel ◽  
Myfanwy Maple
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Intercultural Collaboration ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Future ◽  
Suicide Bereavement ◽  
Ethical Approval

Abstract. Background: Suicide can have a lasting impact on the social life as well as the physical and mental health of the bereaved. Targeted research is needed to better understand the nature of suicide bereavement and the effectiveness of support. Aims: To take stock of ongoing studies, and to inquire about future research priorities regarding suicide bereavement and postvention. Method: In March 2015, an online survey was widely disseminated in the suicidology community. Results: The questionnaire was accessed 77 times, and 22 records were included in the analysis. The respondents provided valuable information regarding current research projects and recommendations for the future. Limitations: Bearing in mind the modest number of replies, all from respondents in Westernized countries, it is not known how representative the findings are. Conclusion: The survey generated three strategies for future postvention research: increase intercultural collaboration, increase theory-driven research, and build bonds between research and practice. Future surveys should include experiences with obtaining research grants and ethical approval for postvention studies.

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