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Towards an integrated approach: A sociolinguistic analysis of Monica Ali’s Brick Lane

  • Dalia E. Hammoud

    Dalia E. Hammoud received her PhD in applied linguistics from the University of Alexandria, Egypt and is currently assistant professor in the English Department there. Her research interests include Sociolinguistics, Discourse Analysis, and Error Analysis. Address for correspondence: 8, Ibrahim Al-Alfy, Louran, Alexandria, Egypt.

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Published/Copyright: September 25, 2020

Abstract

In diasporic communities, switching among languages is a common practice and London is no exception. This paper examines the use of code-switching in Monica Ali’s novel Brick Lane from three different perspectives. It argues that Ali uses code switching (CS) as a sign of hybrid identity. Meanwhile, it contends that the main characters employ CS both as social power and as a tool of ‘emotional expression’. To achieve this aim, a new integrated approach is proposed drawing upon the concepts of ‘orders of indexicality’ and ‘polycentricity’, being sociolinguistic techniques designed to monitor different types of linguistic and cultural manifestations that signify diasporic ways of life. This approach complements an established taxonomy. The findings show that Ali makes significant use of code-switching strategies by balancing the two different cultures, thus reflecting her desire not to lose her hybrid identity. When it concerns her characters, the shifts in codes and/or varieties trigger shifts in the kind of relationships among them and their own identities. Finally, the findings reveal that ‘emotionality’ is a factor that influences code-switching and language choice.


Corresponding author: Dalia E. Hammoud, English Department, Faculty of Education, Alexandria University, 8, Ibrahim Al-alfy, Louran, Alexandria, Egypt, E-mail:

About the author

Dalia E. Hammoud

Dalia E. Hammoud received her PhD in applied linguistics from the University of Alexandria, Egypt and is currently assistant professor in the English Department there. Her research interests include Sociolinguistics, Discourse Analysis, and Error Analysis. Address for correspondence: 8, Ibrahim Al-Alfy, Louran, Alexandria, Egypt.

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Published Online: 2020-09-25
Published in Print: 2021-01-27

© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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