The parallel mode of the bilingual medium: Towards an emic perspective.

Joseph Gafaranga

School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences

The University of Edinburgh

josephg@ling.ed.ac.uk

Emic vs. etic perspectives

The etic viewpoint studies behaviour from outside of a particular system, and as an essential initial approach to an alien system. The emic viewpoint results from studying behaviour as from inside the system (Pike, 1967: 37)

Descriptions or analyses from the etic standpoint are ‘alien’, with criteria external to the system. Emic descriptions provide an internal view, with criteria chosen from within the system. They present us with the view of one familiar to the system and who knows how to function within it himself (Pike, 1967: 38)

Etic vs. emic perspectives

What CA means by an emic perspective (…) is not merely the participants’ perspective, but the perspective from within the sequential environment in which the social actions were performed…The participants display in the interaction those terms of reference which they employ and these provide us with access to the emic perspective. (Seedhouse, 2005: 252)

Parallel talk

Extract 11. A: mpe- mperutse no kubona ntuza avuga ho – avuga

kuri television (.) simenya (.) ministre wa finance2. B: (to child ) papa a dit- papa a dit va t’asseoir là-

bas3. CH: non 4. B: si si c’est ce que papa a dit parce que tu as fait

des bêtises. 5. A: umh R ni nde ra R? 6. C: eh warayibonye ?7. B: (to CH) là-bas là-bas8. A: njye narayibonye (.) sinzi ukuntu nafunguye hano

mbona agezweho 9. CH: là là10. B: tu as fait des bêtises11. C: njye buri gihe saa mbiri n’ igice (.) ndeba kuri ART

1. A: I recently saw that man talking on television (.) I don’t know (.) finance minister

2. B: (To CH) papa said- papa said go and sit there3. CH: no4. B: yes yes that’s what papa said because you’ve

been naughty5. A: umh R who’s R?6. C: eh did you see it?7. B: (to CH) over there over there8. A: I saw it (.) I switched on just like this and there he

was9. CH: over there 10. B: you’ve been naughty11. C: everyday at 8:30 (.) I watch ART

Extract 2

1. B: Uzi gukora sport se burya?2. C: Oui.3. A: Azi gukora sport cyane.4. B: None se babikora ku ishuli?5. A: Ibyo abikora mu rugo.6. B: Ni nde wakwigishije?7. C: Moi toute seule.8. B: Toute seule?9. C: Les copines qui m’ont montrée.10. B: K connait? K peut faire ça?11. C: Oui il peut essayer.

1. B: So you know how to do sports?2. C: Yes3. A: She is good at sports.4. B: Do they do it at school?5. A: She does these particular ones at home.6. B: Who taught you how to do it?7. C: (I learned) all by myself8. B: (you learned) all by yourself?9. C: Some friends showed me (how to do it).10. B: Does K know (how to do it)? Can K do it?11. C: Yes he can try.

Extract 3 (Gafaranga and Torras, 2003)1. AAA: hello2. BBB: hello (.) [eh:3. CCC: [two of stout right (addressing BBB)

dues de negra no 4. BBB: quires pewueña o grande

(would you like it small or large)5. CCC: grande (large)6. BBB: grande (large)7. AAA: mmm mmm 8. BBB: eh: one big (.) one half pint (.) for me (.) [one

half pint for me9. AAA: [one

half pint for you10. BBB: and one pint for him

Non-convergent language choice / talkExtract 4

1. A: B, nakubwiye ngo murye glace?2. B: Non, tu ne l’as pas dit 3. A: Kuki wabeshye papa? Wamubwiye ngw’iki? 4. B: Je n’avais pas entendu très bien.5. A: Wamubwiye ngw’iki papa? 6. B: Rien 7. A: Ni papa ubeshya noneho (.) papa arabeshya? 8. B: Oui 9. A: Wabwiye papa ngo nababwiye ngo mufate glace.10. B: Non.

1. A: B, did I tell you to eat an ice cream?2. B: No, you didn’t3. A: why did you lie to daddy then? What did you tell

him?4. B: I hadn’t understood correctly5. A: What did you tell daddy?6. B: Nothing7. A: So daddy is lying. Daddy is lying?8. B: Yes9. A: you told daddy I had told you to take an ice cream10. B: No

Extract 5

1. A: Kuki mugiye?

2. Vis: On doit rentrer

3. A-D: Lili ntimwahishije se?

4. D: Oui, tout est prêt

5. A-Vis: Mwaretse se mukarya hanyuma mukagenda

6. Vis: Non, nous devons partir. Nous savons quand il faut être à la maison.

1. A: Why are you leaving now?

2. Vis: We must go home

3. A-D: Lili, haven’t you finished cooking yet?

4. D: Yes, every thing is ready

5. A-Vis: Why don’t you eat first and then go?

6. Vis: No, we have to go. We know when we must be home.

Extract 6

1.A: Icara hasi uganirize monsieur.

2. C: Puis-je aller m’amuser?

3. A: Wamubwiye se ko wagiye muli Ardennes?

4. C: Oui (.) j’ai été aux Ardennes avec mes amies- j’ai dormi là-bas- j’ai dormi avec mes amies.

5. B: Wamaze yo iminsi ingahe?

6. C: Une nuit

7. A: Umm

8. B: Warahakunze?

9. C: Oui c’était frais.

1. A: Sit down and talk to mister.

2. C: Can I go to play?

3. A: Have you told him that you went to the Ardennes?

4. C: Yes, I went to the Ardennes with my friends- I slept there- I slept with my friends.

5. B: How long were you there?

6. C: One night.

7. A: Umm

8. B: Did you like it?

9. C: Yes it was cool.

Previous accounts

Phenomenon previously referred to as: ‘non-reciprocal conversations’ (Gal, 1979 and Zentella, 1997), ‘unreciprocal language choice’ (Alvarez-Caccamo, 1990, 1998), ‘non-convergent’ language choice (Jonkam, 1996, Li Wei, 1998) and as ‘divergent’ language choice (Auer, 1998), ‘parallel mode’ (Gafaranga and Torras, 2001)

Problems• Language choice seen as an individual’s action vs.

conversation as joint action;• The problem of order (how is it possible?)• When is it possible?• ‘Parallel’ actions or not?

The in-principle impossibility of non-convergent talk: Medium repair (Gafaranga, 2000)

Extract 7

(Torras, 1999; English, FRENCH, Catalan)

1. STU: I’m sorry it’s not your fault right

2. SEC: no [ uh no that’s you you you

3. STU: [I’m erm I offended you

4. SEC: mmm (.) LE LE DROIT LE (to RES) el dret

5. RES: the right.

6. SEC: the right (.) you have the right to protest eh OK

-----------------

4. SEC: mmm (.) the the right the (to RES) the right

Extract 8

In an English-medium international school in Athens.Workshop Area: Steve (Greek-British), Marianthi

(Greek), Europi (Greek), Alexander (Greek)

1. Steve: Tha ftiakso car2. (0.1)3. Alexander: ti tha ftiaksis pes mu ?4. Steve:eh tha ftiakso aftokinito 5. Alexander: Aftokinito?6. Steve:Aftokinito 7. (0.1)8. Alexander: to (xx)?9. Steve: ohi to (xx)

1. Steve: I am going to make a car

2. (0.1)

3. Alexander: What are you going to make?

4. Steve: eh I am going to make car

5. Alexander: car?

6. Steve: car

7. (0.1)

8. Alexander: the (xx)?

9. Steve: no the (xx)

Language/Medium negotiation (Auer, 1995 / Gafaranga and Torras, 2001)

Extract 9(Gafaranga and Torras, 2002)

At a Scottish pub in Barcelona. A is the bar attendant and B is a customer; Spanish, English)

1. A: hola (hi)2. B: erm are you Scottish3. A: no (.) I’m Irish4. B: ah well5. A: near enough6. B: erm (.) I’ll have (.) a Lagavulin

Medium request (Gafaranga, 2010)

Extract 10

1. B: Alors E, washushanyije iki?2. E: Quoi?3. B: Ça c’est quoi?4. (.) 5. B: Qu’est ce que tu as dessiné? 6. A: Il avait dit qu’il va dessiner un bonhomme7. B: Ah! Je vois un bras

1. B: So E, what have you drawn?

2. E: What?

3. B: What is this?

4. (.)

5. B: What have you drawn?

6. A: He had said he was going to draw a man.

7. B: Ah! I can see an arm.

Normally, non-reciprocal conversations tended to force one of the bilinguals to switch to the language of the other if they went beyond a few sentences. (Zentella, 1997/ 2007: 90)

Typically, after a time of divergent language choice, one participant (…) accepts the other’s language, and the sequence continues with language A as the language-of-interaction (Auer, 1995: 125).

Preference for same language talk (Auer, 1984)

Problem of order revisited: Preference for same medium talk (Gafaranga, 1998)

Extract 11 1. A: noneho rero nka bariya b’ impunzi ukuntu bigenda

(.) babagira ba- a a amashuri hano ni privé quoi (.) ni privé mbega (.) kuburyo rero kugirango aze muri

iyi université agomba kwishyura 2. B: umh3. A: mais comme nta mafaranga afite ya- yatse bourse

le- babyita local government 4. B umh5. A: local authority donc ni nkaaa6. B: ni nka municipalité7. A: ni nka municipalité c’est ça (.) municipalité

yahano niyo yamuhaye bourse

1. A: refugees like him are- schools here are private (.) they are private so that he must pay to study at

this university 2. B: umh3. A: but as he doesn’t have money he has had to

apply for a grant from the- they call it local government 4. B: umh5. A: local authority well it’s likeee 6. B: it’s like a municipality7. A: that’s right it’s like a municipality (.) he got a

grant from the local municipality

Non-convergent talk vs. “bilingual medium” (Gafaranga and Torras, 2001)

• Medium as “the actually oriented-to linguistic code”• Preference for same medium talk• Medium can be monolingual just as it can be bilingual• Bilingual medium may adopt any of three possible

modes: mixed mode, parallel mode, halfway-between mode.

When the parallel mode?

The pattern of “(…) persistent (…) divergent language choices” is “a marked state of affairs for many bilingual communities, though certainly not for all” (Auer, 1998: 8).

Language preference

“…a speaker may (…) avoid the language in which he or she feels insecure and speak the one in which he or she has greater competence. Yet preference (…) may also be due to a deliberate decision based on political considerations” (Auer, 1995: 125).

Parallel mode and ideology-related preference (e.g. language conflict)

Extract 12 (Gafaranga and Torras, 2001)

A town hall reception in Barcelona, Catalan, Castilian)

REC: què volies?[Can I help you?]

EN: Yo? Eh vená a entragar estos papeles.[Me? Erm I’ve come to hand in these papers.]

REC: aquí entrant a la dreta.[over there on your right.

EN1: vale gracias.[OK thank you.]

Parallel mode and competence-related preference (e.g. language shift)

Extract 131. A: G- G, papa yagiye ryali?2. G: Euh- (.) Mich-Ma maman m’avait dit après demain.‘3. A: Umh4. G: Je veux-5. A: Naho wowe uzagenda ryari?6. G: Après demain7. A: Umh8. G: ou lundi9. A: Umh10. G: J’aime bien lundi11. B: Mais lundi c’est demain!12. G: Non. Lundi c’est [(inaudible)13. A: [Kubera iki? Pourquoi- Pourquoi tu aimes bien

Lundi?14. G: Euh parce que c’est beau.15. A: Uzajyana na nde?

1. A: G- G, when did your dad go?2. G: Euh- (.) Mich- My mum told me the day after

tomorrow.3. A: Umh4. G: I want-5. A: How about you when are you going?6. G: The day after tomorrow7. A: Umh8. G: or Monday9. A: Umh10. G: I prefer Monday.11. B: But Monday is tomorrow!12. G: No. Monday is [(inaudible)13. A: [ Why? Why- why do you prefer

Monday?14. G: Euh Because it’s good.15. A: Who will you go with?

‘Parallel’ mode: etic vs. emic description

• Bilingual medium = Emic description• ‘Parallel’ mode = Etic description.• What would an emic description be?