Volume 36, Issue 2 -

The process of globalization, along with the advent of Internet technology, has resulted in the increasing presence of written mixed-language discourses produced and used by multilinguals in online spaces (e. g. online chat, instant messaging, and online discussion boards). Despite the fact that multilingual texts have become more visible and accessible, little research has empirically examined written mixed-language discourses and their sociopragmatic values (Sebba 2012). Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork on computer-mediated interaction among English-Korean bilinguals, this study explores how a certain multilingual practice became iconized as an ideological representation of authentic bilinguals and how such ideological constructs influenced their linguistic practices in written interaction. In particular, this study investigates how these bilinguals strategically create and use a non-standard variety of novel respelling forms in order to position themselves as “authentic” bilinguals and differentiate themselves from other potentially “inauthentic” and “failed” bilinguals. Findings suggest that multilingual texts and written mixed-language discourses need to be understood as an ideological site where different language ideologies and historical discourses are articulated, and where multilinguals try to authenticate themselves as legitimate bilinguals in a given discourse community.

Drawing on offline and online casual interactions in the context of youth in Mongolia, on the Asian periphery, this article looks at youth mixed language practices from the perspective of “ linguascapes ” in order to capture the current flows of transnational linguistic resources in relation to other social landscapes. The study seeks to contribute to current discussions of the sociolinguistics of globalization by investigating to what extent and in what way resources make up linguascapes among youth groups with different access to resources. The main implication of this study is that youth linguascapes in Mongolia are fundamentally diverse, as a result of the combination of varied transcultural resources. At the same time, these resources are unevenly distributed and unequally localized.

Little research has focused on extended concurrent speech, unexpected floor taking, or topic switching, since it has been deemed rare (Schegloff 2000. Overlapping talk and the organization of turn-taking for conversation. Language in Society 29(1). 1–63.) or inappropriate (Goldberg 1990. Interrupting the discourse on interruptions: An analysis in terms of relationally neutral, power- and rapport-oriented acts. Journal of Pragmatics 14(6). 883–903; Giora 1998. Discourse coherence is an independent notion: A reply to Deirdre Wilson. Journal of Pragmatics 29(1). 75–86). This study integrated Spencer-Oatey’s (2008. Face, (im)politeness and rapport. In Helen Spencer-Oatey (ed.), Culturally speaking: Culture, communication and politeness theory , 11–47. London: Continuum) rapport management model with the community of practice model (Wenger 1998. Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) to investigate extended concurrent speech for floor taking or topic switching. Data were derived from approximately 49 hours of conversations at the English-Corner community of practice and follow-up interviews with ten of the participants. Interactional sociolinguistic methods were employed. Extended concurrent speech for floor taking or topic switching was found to be used as a resource for rapport management. Most of the instances appeared to be face-maintaining and rapport-maintaining; some were face-enhancing and rapport-enhancing. The few potentially face-threatening instances turned out to be rapport-maintaining. These might result from the participants’ interactional goals, rights preservation, or identity revelation/negotiation, and the informality of the context. The ten interviewees provided insights that corroborated the analysis.