grammatical constraints and motivations for - University of the ...

describes switching as a process whereby elements from an embedded language
are inserted into the frame of the matrix language.
2.3 Perspectives on Codeswitching
According to Eastman (1995), Blom and Gumperz (1972) were the first to draw a
distinction between situational and metaphorical codeswitching. The former
involves a change in participants, while the latter involves a change in topic.
However, Eastman (1995: 5) proposes that
Current thinking is that rather than being motivated automatically by
extralinguistic factors (e.g. changes in participants, settings etc.), codeswitching
occurs due to either macro-linguistic patterns of language use or individual
choices in the interest of negotiating social class or status changes, or individual
choices inspired by poetic or performance motives.
In addition codeswitching may be attributed to political, economic and historical
forces and can index social class consciousness as well as political and ethnic
affiliations (Eastman, 1995). Thus, codeswitching can be attributed to a range of
factors relating to individual and societal changes and should not be regarded
merely as the result of participant or topic changes.
2.4 Social Motivations for Codeswitching
Various social motivations for codeswitching have been identified by a variety of
researchers, each studying codeswitching between different languages. Theories
on codeswitching are often alike, but also vary in the sense that researchers have
been challenging previous theories and expanding upon them as a result of their
own findings.
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