Authors: Abalo-Dieste, Laura (University of Vigo)
Blokzijl, Jeffrey (Leiden University)
Parafita Couto, María del Carmen (University of Vigo & Leiden University)
Seoane, Elena (University of Vigo)
Blokzijl, Jeffrey (Leiden University)
Parafita Couto, María del Carmen (University of Vigo & Leiden University)
Seoane, Elena (University of Vigo)
This project examines how bilingual speakers in Gibraltar combine English and Spanish to create "Llanito / Yanito" in conversation. Our focus is on intra-sentential and inter-sentential code-switching: alternation between languages within and between sentences by one or more speakers.
Using sociolinguistic interviews collected by Weston (2012), we reanalysed more than 7,700 clauses from 23 participants. For each clause, we identified whether it was unilingual or bilingual. In case of the latter, we determined the Matrix Language (that is, the grammatical frame) and classified the type of code-switching using Muysken’s taxonomy (either insertion, alternation or backflagging). This approach moves beyond the self-reported habits in Weston (2012) to reveal patterns in actual speech.
Key findings:
Using sociolinguistic interviews collected by Weston (2012), we reanalysed more than 7,700 clauses from 23 participants. For each clause, we identified whether it was unilingual or bilingual. In case of the latter, we determined the Matrix Language (that is, the grammatical frame) and classified the type of code-switching using Muysken’s taxonomy (either insertion, alternation or backflagging). This approach moves beyond the self-reported habits in Weston (2012) to reveal patterns in actual speech.
Key findings:
- English dominates unilingual speech, while Spanish is preferred in bilingual clauses.
- Adolescents favour English in unilingual mode more strongly than the other age groups, indicating a generational shift, led especially by women.
- Inter-clausal code-switching occurs more often within the conversational turn of one speaker (n=414; 70%) than between turns/speakers (n=178; 30%). This finding suggests that changes in choice of Matrix Language are not prompted by language preferences of the interlocutor, but of the bilingual speaker. E.g.:
INT: eso que xxx ya conoces el facto
ASS: que basically. a do x-rays to you
INT: que el hospital tú con patients
ASS: following six weeks in hospital
INT: interesante interesante
ASS: i just call the patients
(Weston 2012: Adolescent7 118-126)
- Bilingual verb phrases (e.g. Spanish auxiliary hacer + English main verb -ing) also appeared in the data. E.g.:
tu puedes hacer distinguishing de la misma gente o no y por qué (Weston 2012: Adolescent4 261)
By combining community-level sociolinguistic analysis with detailed morphosyntactic coding, this project seeks to confirm earlier self-reported claims about age patterns and switching styles in Gibraltar. We also explore the interviewer’s role in shaping inter-sentential code-switching between different speakers, which has received less attention in previous research (compared to intra-sentential code-switching).
These results situate Gibraltar within the wider network of Spanish–English bilingual communities, offering a benchmark for future comparisons in order to track whether the shift toward English continues in the future.
These results situate Gibraltar within the wider network of Spanish–English bilingual communities, offering a benchmark for future comparisons in order to track whether the shift toward English continues in the future.