This document discusses concepts related to multilingualism and language choice, including: - Vitality of languages and how demographic, social, and institutional factors influence a language's likelihood of continued use. - Examples of multilingual nations like South Africa (with 11 official languages) and Vanuatu (with Bislama, English, and French). - Diglossia, where two varieties of a language are used differently in formal vs. informal contexts. - Code-switching and code-mixing when moving between languages or varieties. - Passive knowledge of a language through understanding vs. active knowledge of speaking it.

1. Multilingualism
and
Language Choice
Sociolinguistics
Sonya Ayu Kumala, M.Hum

2.  Vitality
 Diglossia
 High Variety and Low Variety
 Code switching and Code mixing
 Passive and Active knowledge

3. Vitality
 The likehood that a language will continue
being used for a range of social functions by a
community of speakers.
 Demographic, social and institutional strength
of a language and its speakers.

4. Language in South Africa
 No nation is multilingual.
 Greece consider themselves as monolingual
country
 Multilingual nations : South Africa and Republic of
Vanuatu
 South africa : apartheid regime
 The language of business and education are
Afrikaans (Dutch) and South African English

5.  The collapsed of the regime in the 1990s, the
republic of south africa becomes a
multilingual nations with 11 languages.
 Linguistics plualism
 How vitality important in perceiving language
rights, the national identity and history of
opression.

6. Language in Vanuatu
 Vanuatu is a Joint Condominium of both British
and French
 In 1980, Vanuatu got its independence
National language is Bislama (english creole)
Official language are Bislama, English, and
French
Language of education are English and French
Different local language/indegenous language =
National language.

7. Ethnolinguistics Vitality
 Social, political, attitudinal factors = national,
official, education
 High vitality if it is widely spoken and used
 Low vitality if it is shifted/is not used anymore.
 The relative strength or vitality of language that
are related to :
a. The demographic of the ethnic group speaking a
language.
b. The status afforded to a language.
c. Institutional support provided for a language

8. Factors that influence the language vitality:
a. Social factors
Eg. Latin in europe
a. Institutional factors
Eg. South african and Vanuatus’ language
Mauritius nation: Mauritian creole, english and
french, Indian and arabic language
a. Demographic factors
Eg. Maori language in New Zealand

9. Diglossia
 Diglossia = two language
 Diglossia is situation of societal bilingualism
and institutionalised code-switching

10.  High variety : language with higher overt
prestige and which is used in more formal
context and writing
 Low variety : vernacular variety.

11.  Two varieties of language in use in the
community that had some historical link to
each other and one can be argued to have its
root in the each other.
 Eg.
 Middle east: classical arabic and vernacular
arabic
 Tanzania: Swahili and local vernaculars
(overlaping diglossia)

12. Code switching and Code Mixing
 Moving code between different languages or
varieties.
 A situation in which two distinct varieties of a
language are spoken within the same speech
community.

13.  People who are speak more than one
language are generally very sensitive to the
differences in the vitality og languages they
use and they are equally aware that in some
contexts one variety will serve better their
needs better than another.

14.  Code switching:
1. Domain or situational based code switching
2. Addresse based code switching
* Individual creativity and flexibility

15.  Example:
 Tanzania : Vernacular language (rangi) and
official language (swahili)
 In the market and in the bank

16. Code Mixing
 Code-mixing refers to the situation where
people switch between different languages
within the same sentences.
 Generally alternations between varieties or
codes within clause or phrase.

17. Passive and Active Knowledge
 Passive knowledge: the ability to understand
but not to speak a language.
 Active knowldege: knowledge of a linguistics
variety that includes the ability to produce and
use that variety and not only to understand it.

18. Good luck
for your mid-term test!