Codeswitching in Igbo-English bilingualism : a Matrix Language Frame account / Kelechukwu Ihemere.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ihemere, Kelechukwu U. (Kelechukwu Uchechukwu), author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Code switching (Linguistics)--Africa, West.

Code switching (Linguistics).

English language--Foreign elements--Igbo.

English language.

English language--Grammar, Comparative--Igbo.

English language--Influence on Igbo.

Igbo language--Foreign elements--English.

Igbo language.

Igbo language--Grammar, Comparative--English.

Igbo language--Influence on English.

Languages in contact--Africa, West.

Languages in contact.

Multilingualism--Africa, West.

Multilingualism.

Africa, West--Languages.

Africa, West.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (257 p.)

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Bloomsbury Academic, 2016.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"Codeswitching occurs when multilingual speakers embed elements of more than one language into the dominant (or Matrix) language within individual utterances of conversation. Igbo-English Bilingualism explores the syntax of bilingual codeswitching between the Benue-Congo African language of Igbo and English. Within the framework of Myers-Scotton's highly influential Matrix Language Frame (MLF) model, Kelechukwu Ihemere explores the notion of asymmetry in Igbo-English codeswitching, arguing that the two languages do not contribute equally in the creation of mixed utterances. In the abstract interaction between the two grammars, the Matrix language is more activated than the Embedded language, resulting in either monolingual Igbo discourse or discourse with an Igbo morphosyntactic frame but with English insertions. Using both linguistic and quantitative analyses, this book uniquely investigates the governing principles and restrictions on bilingual clauses and grammatical codeswitching in the context of a West African language and English. Providing a detailed descriptive and theoretical investigation of Igbo-English data and a deeper analysis of the MLF model, this book will be of interest to anyone working in the fields of comparative syntax, bilingualism and contact linguistics."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note:

Preface

Acknowledgements

Abbreviations and symbols

1. Introduction

2. Studying the grammar of codeswitching

3. Theoretical framework

4. Comparison of aspects of Igbo and English grammars

5. Methodology

6. Embedded language single words: Nouns and Adjectives

7. Embedded language single words: Verbs

8. Embedded language islands

9. Concluding remarks and implications

Notes

Appendix A: Sample interview schedule protocol

Appendix B: Summary of findings from the interview protocol

References

Index.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781474278171

1474278175

9781474278164

1474278167

OCLC:

950004345