Language Mixing and the Bilingual Brain

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Language Mixing and the Bilingual Brain

• Tej K. Bhatia
• Syracuse University, Syracuse,
• New York

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Bilingual Verbal Behavior

• Like a driver driving a stick shift car
• Mixing flawless and natural
• Universal phenomenon not an exception

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Bilingual Verbal Behavior Perception

• Shifting and mixing does not go unnoticed by
  some members of society (e.g. monolinguals,
• prescriptivitists)
• Odd strange idiosyncratic peripheral
• Bilinguals apologetic behavior

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ISSUES/QUESTIONS

• Is language mixing/Code-Mixing a random
  phenomenon?
• Is there a grammar of code-mixing?
• What is the Social Evaluation of code-mixing?
• Why do bilinguals mix languages?
• What is the nature of the bilingual brain?
• What is the difference between code-mixing and
  other mixed linguistic systems? (e.g. pidgin,
  creole languages)

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ISSUES/QUESTIONS

• Is language mixing/Code-Mixing a random
  phenomenon?

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ISSUES/QUESTIONS

• Is language mixing/Code-Mixing a random
  phenomenon?
• Is there a grammar of code-mixing?

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Earlier Research Findings (70s, 80s)

• Either not subject to constraints (Lance 1975) or
  subject to irregular mixture (Labov 1971)
• The view of grammar of CM/CS as strange or
  random is now outmoded

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ISSUES/QUESTIONS

• Is language mixing/Code-Mixing a random
  phenomenon?
• Is there a grammar of code-mixing?
• What is the Social Evaluation of code-mixing?

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Social Evaluation Big Brother Watching!!

• No grammar/Defective grammar Linguistic
  Barbarianism
• Difficulty expressing themselves
• Language Death
• Split Personality
• Linguistic Deficiency
• Complete U-Turn

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ISSUES/QUESTIONS

• Is language mixing/Code-Mixing a random
  phenomenon?
• Is there a grammar of code-mixing?
• What is the Social Evaluation of code-mixing?
• Why do bilinguals mix languages?

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Motivation

• Deeper Creative Needs
• New Distinctions
• Mixing and Creativity Universal Principle

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ISSUES/QUESTIONS

• Is language mixing/Code-Mixing a random
  phenomenon?
• Is there a grammar of code-mixing?
• What is the Social Evaluation of code-mixing?
• Why do bilinguals mix languages?
• What is the nature of the bilingual brain?

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The Bilingual BrainTwo Salient Characteristics

• Language Separation
• Language Integration

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ISSUES/QUESTIONS

• Is language mixing/Code-Mixing a random
  phenomenon?
• Is there a grammar of code-mixing?
• What is the Social Evaluation of code-mixing?
• Why do bilinguals mix languages?
• What is the nature of the bilingual brain?
• What is the difference between code-mixing and
  other mixed linguistic systems? (e.g. pidgin,
  creole languages)

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• Types of Mixed Systems Human Capacity

Mixing Switching
Diglossia
Creole
Pidgin
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CM Borrowings

• Borrowings Fill lexical gap
• Linguistic categories restricted (N preferred)
• Grammar Monolingual

• CM Elaborate Socio-psychological functions
• Complex grammar beyond two input grammars
• New grammar emerges

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Pidgin/Creoles CM

• Grammar simple (lack of inflexional morphology)
• Speakers do not share a mutually shared lg.
• No mother tongue speaker
• Trade language

• CM Elaborate Socio-psychological functions
• Complex grammar beyond two input grammars
• New grammar emerges and complex discourse domains
• MT speakers

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CS CM Grammar

• CS Inter-sentential (beyond sentence)
• Two participating grammars stay separate with a
  discourse event.

• CM Intra-sentential (i.e.simple, complex and
  compound sentence structure)
• Evidence an emergence of a new and complex
  grammar (in addition to two participating
  grammars.)

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CS CM Degree of Bilingualism

• CS and CM Speech Pattern of a balanced
  bilingual.
• Language mixing by foreign language or second
  language learners is not CM/CS. Such mixing can
  be view as one of the developmental stages of
  CM/CS

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Diglossia CM

• Two languages are never mixed
• Two lexicongrammars separate
• High language is later acquired
• Distinct domains

• Two languages are frequently mixed intra-
  inter-sententially
• New System of grammar emerges
• Simultaneous/seque-ntial acquisition
• Social-Psychological domains

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Conclusions

• Creativity and Deeper Communicative Needs (e.g.
  Advertisers)
• Not a randomization or deterioration of two
  linguistic systems
• Optimization of linguistic resources
• BiligualismTrilingualism and much more