Jamie A. Thomas
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#languagestory blog

Video & perspectives on communication, intercultural learning & the impact of anthropological research.

Diversity in Communication and Bilingualism

11/29/2017

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by Sophia Moore and Xena Wang

So Many Languages.

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With over thousands of languages in existence, it is no surprise that many individuals speak more than one. Sociolinguist Carol Myers-Scotton, in her book Multiple Voices, defines bilingualism as ​“the ability to use two or more languages sufficiently to carry on a limited casual conversation”. [1] In order to investigate the different implications of bilingualism with regards to the self and others in a social context, we conducted two surveys within the college-aged community of Swarthmore College.

​In this post, we explore how bilingualism affects linguistic diversity: variations in all aspects of languages, including grammars, vocabularies, dialects, and languages themselves. Our study looked at the relationship between thought and speech patterns, and the different ways in which bilinguals’ speech styles differ depending on the language used. We examined the diverse ways people process language with the self (internally) and with others (externally), and how these differences contribute to linguistic diversity as a whole. By contributing to the overall diversity of the human population, linguistic diversity helps with the formation of new ideas or solutions to problems in relationships or larger societal issues, and aids in forging a unique identity within a community of language speakers. 


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Language Inside-Out

11/21/2017

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by Ariana Hoshino and Maggie Zoz

Language + Diversity = ?

Linguistic diversity can be a pretty abstract concept. In this blog post, we explore how linguistic diversity presents itself through the creation of artistic media and the situational use of different languages. We found that language use in both contexts is dependent on both the intent of the speaker and the target community. Speakers observe the context of their surroundings and language community when determining how to achieve understanding. We conducted two field surveys sampling members of the Swarthmore College community: Project A, where multilingual individuals were asked about their experiences codeswitching, and Project B, where artists were asked about how they utilize language in their literary art. Projects A and B explore ways that linguistic diversity manifests based on speaker’s perception of the language use in their environment.

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    Main Author

    Jamie A. Thomas is a linguistic anthropologist and digital media producer. Her forthcoming book Zombies Speak Swahili is all about the undead, videogames, and viral Black language. She teaches at Santa Monica College.

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