Argues that an adequate theory of codeswitching syntax is one that holds that the actual nature of the switching is relative not only to the language pairs, but also to other situational factors. Suggests that congruence of categories is constructed by bilinguals in a given situation with four alternative outcomes for the given candidate switch:…

Provides an account of so-called "word-internal codeswitching," instances where lexemes are taken from one language to combine with affix-like elements from another. Data are from Japanese-English bilingual utterances as well as from other pairs. Argues that two factors determine proper selection and combination of morphemes coming from different…

Examines two activities bilingual speakers accomplish while talking: medium-repair and other-language repair. Both activities are accomplished when speakers draw on their other languages to overcome difficulties in one of their languages. (Author/VWL)

Presents a methodology for the systematic observation of codeswitching distribution, based on a range of defined units of discourse organization including the turn and different types of units within the turn, down to the level of the word. Codeswitching is found not to occur within word unit boundaries. Draws from a study of bilingual performance…

Research has shown that intersentential code switching is related to conversational structure. This article argues that insertion can be explained in these terms as well. Draws on Halliday's and Hasan's (1976) notion of cohesive tie, claims that insertions are a consequence of the bilingual speaker's attempt to create coherence between utterances…

Discusses a continuum of language alternation phenomena that spans between the prototypes labeled codeswitching (CS), language mixing (LM), and fused lects (FLs), with CS and FLs representing the polar extremes of the continuum and LM a point in between. (Author/VWL)

Examines the roles that morphemes of different types play in contact-induced change. The data examined are taken from interviews with seven speakers of Pennsylvania German. Argues that a turnover of the Matrix language is in process in PG. (Author/VWL)

Discusses the modeling hypothesis, in which bilingual children's rates of code mixing are related to rates of mixing in the input addressed to them, and the assumption that children are sensitive to code mixing in the input and can adjust their own rates in accordance with the input. Reports a study of six bilingual toddlers recorded during play…

Describes a project whose purpose is to set up a computerized database of bilingual texts to be used by researchers in the field of language interaction (i.e., codeswitching, borrowing, and other outcomes of contact between varieties). Current work includes adaptation of the CHILDES system to take account of the different needs of researchers in…

Discusses the brain mechanisms mediating the switching of languages in bilingual subjects. To ascertain the brain mechanisms mediating the control of language switching, switching was examined in a bilingual patient with frontal lobe damage and impaired control processes. (Author/VWL)

Introduces this special issue of the journal and reports on new directions in the research that began with code switching, but increasingly has come to include other types of language contact phenomena. The articles in the issue report on analyses and explanations for a variety of outcomes in bilingual production. (Author/VWL)

Investigates the construction of the grammatical frame in code switching in terms of the roles played by the two languages in contact, referred to as the Matrix Language (ML) and the Embedded Language (EL). Data is presented from German-English code switching on gender assignment and article in noun phrases. (Author/VWL)

Analyzes data from natural Igbo-English bilingual discourse that demonstrates how the two most important manifestations of language contact--codeswitching and borrowing--can be unambiguously and consistently distinguished. (Author/VWL)

Examines the role of the Spanish discourse particle "no" for negotiating agreement and disagreement in Spanish-English bilingual conversations from Gibraltar. A sequential analysis of twelve conversational exchanges shows how language choice is an important linguistic resource for negotiating agreement and disagreement in interactions.…

Reports two studies exploring whether there is a cost in switching languages in a lexical decision task. In the first experiment, German-English bilinguals were slower on switch trials compared to nonswitch trials. In the second experiment, the task was changed to one in which a word response could be given independent of language. There was still…