Cassie Smith-Christmas (24 March 2010)
Three generations of code-switching: Gaelic language usage in the family
Abstract
This paper will give an account of the language choice and code-switching patterns of three generations of a family located on Skye and Harris; it will broadly examine how the generations differ in terms of preference for using Gaelic or English, and then look in more detail at the code-switching patterns of each generation.
This research is based on long-term participant observation of the family, as well as 16 hours of recorded conversations, completed in July 2009. In general, first generation speakers tend to use Gaelic as their preferred code, and code-switch to English for certain discourse functions, such as using reported speech, emphasising a certain point, and closings. In contrast, the second generation tends to use English as their preferred language and generally only code-switch to Gaelic when the third generation members are present; these conversations usually take the form of second generation speakers disciplining the third generation members. Like the second generation, the third generation generally prefer English, but will switch to Gaelic when trying to elicit information from or argue with first or second generation speakers.