Code-Switching to English amongst Arabic-speaking Jordanians in Canada

Language contact leads to a number of linguistic phenomena, most noticeably code-switching, which refers to bilinguals’ utilization of two languages in the same conversation and even within a single utterance. This study investigates Arabic-English code-switching among Jordanian immigrants in Manitoba, Canada and presents a qualitative analysis of the socio-pragmatic functions this linguistic behavior serves. The participants were 11 (3 females and 8 males) Jordanian immigrants living in Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba. Two instruments were employed to elicit the data necessary for this study: audio recordings and semi-structured interviews. The code-switching occurrences were categorized into different socio-pragmatic functions based on the analysis of the content of almost 18 hours of recorded conversations. The analysis of the content of the audio-recordings besides the semi-structured interviews showed that Jordanian immigrants resort to code-switching to achieve a number of socio-pragmatic functions: filling lexical needs, integrating into the Canadian culture and lifestyle, qualifying a message, mitigating embarrassment and negative connotations, quoting the exact words of somebody, and creating humorous or ironic effect. Keywords: Code-Switching; Socio-Pragmatic Functions; Canada; Arabic; English.

North of Empire: essays on the cultural technologies of space

Jody Berland’s North of Empire is an astute, compelling retrospective of half a career’s thought on media spaces from a distinctly Canadian perspective.It is the best book in a generation to argue for the value of a Canadian approach to cultural studies, not just parochially but as a critical contribution to the contemporary study of culture anywhere. Given its substantive focus, it should be no surprise to learn that the Canadian Communication Association awarded North of Empire its 2009 Gertrude J. Robinson book prize (full disclosure: I served on the jury). Nonetheless, an anthology of previously published essays is not an obvious choice for a book award.Referring in her postscript to the heightened concern about protecting and nurturing Canadian culture amidst debates over free trade negotiations in the 1980s, Berland reminds us that “just because something is past does not mean it is not present” (p. 301). She could be explaining the continuing relevance, even spectral centrality, of her own concerns in this collection of essays. Although the chapters were originally published between 1988 and 2005, each is updated and thematically positioned out of chronological order to create a surprisingly cohesive monograph.

North of Empire: essays on the cultural technologies of space

Jody Berland’s North of Empire is an astute, compelling retrospective of half a career’s thought on media spaces from a distinctly Canadian perspective.It is the best book in a generation to argue for the value of a Canadian approach to cultural studies, not just parochially but as a critical contribution to the contemporary study of culture anywhere. Given its substantive focus, it should be no surprise to learn that the Canadian Communication Association awarded North of Empire its 2009 Gertrude J. Robinson book prize (full disclosure: I served on the jury). Nonetheless, an anthology of previously published essays is not an obvious choice for a book award.Referring in her postscript to the heightened concern about protecting and nurturing Canadian culture amidst debates over free trade negotiations in the 1980s, Berland reminds us that “just because something is past does not mean it is not present” (p. 301). She could be explaining the continuing relevance, even spectral centrality, of her own concerns in this collection of essays. Although the chapters were originally published between 1988 and 2005, each is updated and thematically positioned out of chronological order to create a surprisingly cohesive monograph.

All I Want for Christmas Is a New Massey Commission

It’s time for a new vision of Canadian culture, and the COVID-19 pandemic provides a major opportunity to embark on this project. A new Massey Commission could establish a different paradigm for arts and culture, one that could be valued as an inherent good, similar to education and health care, and dramatically increase access and sustainability in the process.

Conceptual representations in bicultural bilinguals: An ERP approach

We investigated conceptual representations for translation word pairs in bilinguals who learned their languages in different cultural contexts. Mandarin–English bilinguals were presented with a word, and then a picture, and decided if they matched. Both behavioural and ERP data were collected. In one session, words were in English and in another they were the Mandarin translations. Critical pictures matched the prior word and were either biased to Chinese or Canadian culture. There was an interaction of test language and picture type in RT and errors in the behavioural data, and in five components in the ERP data, indicating that the task was easier when the culture depicted in the picture was congruent with the language of the preceding word. These findings provide evidence that the specific perceptual experiences that bilinguals encounter when learning words in each language have an impact on the semantic features that are activated by those words.

The meaning of Canadian citizenship in light of dual citizenship and multiculturalism in Canada

With multiculturalism informing policy formation related to immigration and settlement in Canada, dual citizenship is accepted. Many have argued that dual citizenship is problematic when it creates dual, and often times, competing loyalties, interests, and priorities; while others argue that dual citizenship is actually a positive development that is consistent with the Canadian culture of acceptance, tolerance and multiculturalism. This MRP will examine the connection between multiculturalism, the legality of dual and multiple citizenship in Canada and their effect on the meaning of Canadian citizenship for naturalized Canadian citizens holding dual or multiple citizenships.

The meaning of Canadian citizenship in light of dual citizenship and multiculturalism in Canada

With multiculturalism informing policy formation related to immigration and settlement in Canada, dual citizenship is accepted. Many have argued that dual citizenship is problematic when it creates dual, and often times, competing loyalties, interests, and priorities; while others argue that dual citizenship is actually a positive development that is consistent with the Canadian culture of acceptance, tolerance and multiculturalism. This MRP will examine the connection between multiculturalism, the legality of dual and multiple citizenship in Canada and their effect on the meaning of Canadian citizenship for naturalized Canadian citizens holding dual or multiple citizenships.