Language Regulation in English As a Lingua Franca by Niina Hynninen

Author:Niina Hynninen
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: De Gruyter
Published: 2016-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

Analysis

The analysis first takes a look at instances where the group members can be found to settle for one lexical item. The first set of examples comes from the guided group and concerns the adoption of a code-switched lexical item in the group. In example 5.49, S1 refers to a Finnish organisation with its Finnish name62.

(5.49) S1: ((…)) and then i had a look at metsähallitus which would be maybe the forestry

M2: it’s the forest and park services

S1: okay

M2: (i think)

S1: okay well forest and park services er they have some more stuff quite a lot of stuff um i found ((…))

(GG, 2nd occurrence of metsähallitus)

As the example shows, S1 also attempts to translate the name, but one of the mentors intervenes to do it for her. M2’s translation offers an alternative way to refer to the organisation, but only metsähallitus was used later on, which suggests that the Finnish name became the preferred variant in the group. This is exemplified in example 5.50, which further shows that the term is used not only by a Finn (S3) but also by a native speaker of German (S2) in the group.

(5.50) S2: yeah i think that it was unpublished but <M2> [right] </M2> [maybe] maybe there’s still some way to get it maybe W-W-F or or metsähallitus has it and we can get it (from there) i don’t know

S3: i think somewhere in metsähallitus er they sa(id) that five more deaths per year and species will be gone or something like that

(GG)

In this case, S2’s adoption of the Finnish name cannot be explained by immediate accommodation; rather, S3 is the one who accommodates to S2, and S2 has adopted the lexical item from an earlier stage in the discussion. The usage can also be seen to persist across group meetings, as M2 talks about Metsähallitus in the fourth meeting (example 5.51).

(5.51) M2: yeah it says that the- these areas that are within (these) lines they are, erm areas where the the ministry of a- agriculture and forestry has set some fishing regulations <S2> mhm-hm </S2> and this is where metsähallitus has implemented some regulations over, these state-owned water areas and then (light) grey is (this) voluntary regulations that have been agreed with with (co-ops) there

(GG)

The recycling of the lexical item suggests that the use of metsähallitus has become preferred use in the group. This shows that code-switching in ELF can result in the adoption of lexical items “outside” the English language.

Similarly, unconventional lexical items can be adopted as the preferred ones. In one of the meetings, S1 started talking about cottage people (i.e. people holidaying in a summer cottage)63, as illustrated in examples 5.52 and 5.53.

(5.52) S3: yeah but our minist- ministry of agriculture and forestry is thinking that (it should be voluntary), so that’s the problem @@ <SS> (xx) @@ </SS> yeah

S1: i think the problem that um fish that they want to catch like cottage people in saimaa they are these small little (xx) things and you won’t really

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