Personal Multilingual Practices in China Mainland
Abstract
China has long been a multi-ethnic and multicultural country, and currently has 56 ethnic groups speaking approximately 2300 dialects or sub-dialects. However, its multilingualism has long been controversial in the academic sector, and whether multilingualism exists in China Mainland remains unclear. Multilingualism may be observed in China Mainland, with the promotion of Mandarin and English, and the maintenance of regional dialects in recent years.
The current study aims to explore the multilingual practices in China Mainland through a case study. The following questions are proposed: What are the features of multilingual practices in China Mainland? What are the factors contributing to language features in China Mainland? What type of multilingualism does China Mainland adhere to?
Two full-day recordings of the participant conversations were conducted in order to document language. In follow-up discussions with the participant, the participant noted his intentions to present himself as multilingual. Results suggest that features of multilingual practices including interference, borrowing, mixing, and code-switching appear. Social, personal, and conversational factors also contribute to the participant’s multilingual practices. The study takes individual multilingualism as a reflective example that also contributes to the interpretation of multilingualism in China.
Keywords: China Mainland, linguistic anthropology, discourse analysis, language use, multilingual practices, sociolinguistics