Document Type

Working Paper

Publication Date

3-1-1988

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss and interpret Mexicans' evaluations of Spanish-English code-switching by Mexican-Americans. Code-switching is here defined as alternating, continuous, and systematic stretches of Spanish and English in the same discourse. But researchers distinguish between intersentential and intrasentential switching: intersentential switching consists of switching languages at sentence boundaries, whereas "intrasentential switching involves the shift from language L1 to language L2 in the middle of a sentence, often with no interruptions, hesitations, pauses, or the other indiations of a major categorical shift....This type of language shifting, which is characterized by a smooth flow between English and Spanish, is common in most United States Hispanic communities..." (Lipski 1986, 2-3).

Publisher

Latin American and Iberian Institute

Language (ISO)

English

Sponsors

The Latin American and Iberian Institute of the University of New Mexico

Keywords

Spanish-English, code-switching, Mexico

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