Free English Language Dissertations - 186). The Environment In Which The Speakers Find Themselves Is A Major Factor
186). The environment in which the speakers find themselves is a major factor in determination of their orientation toward language. When the characteristics of this environment, or domain, become more or less stable, language use becomes regulated, or habitual, and is now identified by linguists as 'code' (Cobley, 2001, p. 186) Switching back and forth from one code to another is commonly seen in bilingual speakers, and is very similar to what is described as 'style shifting' among monolingual speakers.
Cobley also points out that 'where diglossia (or tri-glossia) exists, a "high" and a "low" form is often available, through switching between the two, to signal social meanings of status and formality' (2001, p. 183). This description strongly echoes the definition of style switching. The primary difference is that the condition of monolingualism is absent here. Other than that, the tendency to shift back and forth in discourse dependent upon environmental cues remains the same.
Conclusion
As discussed above, language does not exist in a vacuum, but is heavily dependent upon a number of factors. It functions within a social framework, and its function depends on characteristics of the speaker as well as the environment of the speaker at any given time. Factors such as age, gender, educational level, and ethnic background are important, but they alone cannot account for the stylistic shifts that are often observed in a speaker. The environmental conditions, or domain, in which the speaker is placed also play a role. Style shifting and codeswitching are closely related phenomena that are based on the same underlying principle.
Style shifting is a phenomenon that is most often identified within monolingual discourse, whereas codeswitching is primarily discussed in terms of bilingual discourse. However, as discussed earlier, these terms are frequently used interchangeably by many linguists, blurring the distinctions between the two. Although the basic concept behind each of these terms is the same, there is a basic difference. This difference, however, has become less marked over time.
Reference List
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Cobley, Paul, ed. 2001. The Routledge Companion to Semiotics and Linguistics. London: Routledge.
Fishman, Joshua. 1972. Language in Sociocultural Change: Essays by Joshua A. Fishman. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
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Labov, William. 1966. The Social Stratification of English in New York City, Washington D.C.: Center for Applied Linguistics.
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