Linguistic accommodation and identity negotiation in cross-cultural communication: a multimodal analysis of English as a contact language

Journal: Region - Educational Research and Reviews DOI: 10.32629/rerr.v7i3.3736

Yunyi DU

Chengdu Normal University

Abstract

This study explores how English functions as a linguistic contact zone in intercultural interactions, analyzing phonological, syntactic, and pragmatic adaptations shaped by cultural norms. Combining language contact theory (Thomason, 2001), communication accommodation theory (Giles, 1973), and corpus linguistics methodologies, it examines code-mixing patterns, prosodic adjustments, and politeness strategies in three contexts: ASEAN business meetings, African digital communication, and EU academic exchanges. Findings reveal the systematic linguistic hybridity that challenges native-speaker hegemony, advocating for a descriptive approach to English variants in global contexts.

Keywords

intercultural communication; language accommodation; English contact language; language contact theory

References

[1] Thomason SG. 2001. Language Contact: An Introduction. Edinburgh University Press.
[2] Myers-Scotton C. 1993. Duelling Languages: Grammatical Structure in Codeswitching. Oxford University Press.
[3] Gumperz JJ. 1982. Discourse Strategies. Cambridge University Press.
[4] Kecskes I. 2014. Intercultural Pragmatics. Oxford University Press.
[5] Giles H. 1973. Accent mobility: A model and some data. Anthropological Linguistics, 15(2): 87-105.
[6] Eades D. 2013. Aboriginal Ways of Using English. Aboriginal Studies Press.

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