Topical Influence: Reiterative Code-Switching in the Kufr Qassem Deaf Community

Abstract:

Reiterative code-switching, when one lexical item from one language is produced immediately after a semantically equivalent lexical item in another language, is a frequent phenomenon in studies of language contact. Several spoken language studies suggest that reiteration functions as a form of accommodation, amplification (emphasis), reinforcement, or clarification; however, its function in sign language seems less clear. In this study, we investigate reiterative code-switching produced in semispontaneous conversations while manipulating two important factors: interlocutor and topic. Ten bilinguals of Kufr Qassem Sign Language (KQSL), a local sign language used in central Israel, and Israeli Sign Language (ISL), the national sign language of Israel, participated in a semispontaneous conversation task in three interlocutor conditions, with: (1) another bilingual, (2) a KQSL-dominant signer, and (3) an ISL-dominant signer. They were given "local" (e.g., traditions in Kufr Qassem) and "global" (e.g., travel) topics to discuss. A total of 673 code-switches were found in the data, of which sixty-seven were reiterative. Interlocutor was found to be a significant predictor of the presence of reiterative code-switching, with more reiterations observed when participants interacted with a KQSL-dominant signer or bilingual than with an ISL-dominant signer. These results suggest that reiteration serves an accommodative function. Yet, this does not explain reiterations found in the bilingual-bilingual condition. We show that, in these cases, reiteration plays other roles beyond accommodation, including amplification.