gary ives (2014) bradford school study Flashcards
what is bradford asian english?
an example of a code-switching dialect in which speakers alternate their first and second languages: english and (most commonly) punjabi.
give details about the heritage of the eight bradford teenage boys. how does this compare to the south london study?
bradford- 95% of students are from pakistani backgrounds. majority are mirpuri (from mirpur in pakistan). mirpur is a very large city surrounded by villages and farmlands
south london - students come from a wide range of ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds. the highest proportion of these students comes from an afro-caribbean background
a comment from the teenagers which proves that their dialect is a conscious choice to establish group identity
‘we might speak english to mum and dad but with our friends we add in punjabi’
were the boys more likely to use punjabi at home or in their peer group?
in their peer group
define the term ‘freshie’ and its connection to the study
freshie- those born in pakistan who have subsequently moved to england. they identified themselves as ‘british asian’ with one student stating he was ‘fully british’
the students claimed they didn’t look down on ‘freshies’ but didn’t feel connected to them, especially to their accent.
give 3 examples of bradford asian slang
- sick
- swag
- bare
how might the term ‘cryptolect’ relate to the taboo language of the bradford teens?
cryptolect - a secretive language
taboo language - words typically deemed immoral or inappropriate in everyday language
one teenage boy commented on the inclusion of punjabi when speaking to friends but, this time, with a specific focus on using swear words but ‘only with certain people’. he referred to it as a secret language that is synonymous with the idea of using language to create a group identity.
did the 2 members of staff with pakistani heritage confirm or undermine the use of code-switching?
two members of staff of pakistani heritage were interviewed and confirmed the use of code-switching and the inclusion of punjabi into their everyday talk
explain how language acts as a ‘unifying mechanism’ for this group
they differentiate themselves from others with pakistani backgrounds and will use language to exclude those people from this social group. there is a clear and definite attempt to use language to exclude others and feel included with your peers. language acts as a unifying mechanism for them.
