Maria del Carmen Parafita Couto

Maria del Carmen Parafita Couto: What if …? Imagining linguistic theory rooted in multilingual data

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Abstract

In this presentation we will explore a hypothetical scenario: What if linguistic theory had been grounded on bi-/multilingual practices and data, i.e. what if multilingualism had always been recognized as an inherent aspect of the human mind and societal structure? In such a scenario, models of multilingual linguistic practices might have taken precedence over prevailing monolingual models (cf. Ameka & Terkourafi 2019; Balam 2016; Ngué Um 2020; Pablé 2022).

Indeed, a defining trait of multilingual speakers is that in everyday life they may integrate elements from their bi/multilingual linguistic repertoire in the same sentence or discourse, a practice known as code-switching. However, most studies on bi-/multilingual practices to date focus on Western communities in which code-switching is socially disfavoured rather than on communities where multilingual discourse involving code-switching is the norm. Given that the majority of the world lives in  multilingual communities in which labels such as L1, L2, …Ln+1 lack substantial descriptive significance and hardly have any theoretical status, we could argue that these different ecologies in which acquisition takes place, yielding multilingual practices such as code-switching, should occupy a central position in linguistic theory (Aboh & Parafita Couto 2024).  To illustrate the potential of such a paradigm shift, I will adopt  a comparative, cross-community approach to examine code-switching dynamics across diverse regions. In doing so, I will consider not only the structural properties of the languages involved but also the profile of the multilingual speaker and the sociohistorical contexts of each community (Muysken 2013; Parafita Couto & Balam in press). By focusing on  communities that differ in geographical setting, history, and social status of the languages, I will (i) shed light into the intricate interplay between social  factors  (e.g. language prestige, sociocultural norms) and language-internal factors in determining code-switched structures, and (ii) provide insight into how communities develop conventions and context-specific linguistic norms which speakers acquire.

Ultimately, this comparative evaluation compels us to  reevaluate common premises of acquisition which conceive of mental grammars in terms of growth from a “mono”-lingual to “multi”-lingual. It also prompts us to acknowledge that models of the human language capacity cannot be developed in isolation of other factors, e.g., sociocultural experience, cognition (Aboh & Parafita Couto 2024, Parafita Couto & Balam in press, Parafita Couto et al. 2023, in press).