A Systemic-Functional Study of Language Choice in Singapore.
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| Title: | A Systemic-Functional Study of Language Choice in Singapore. |
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| Authors: | Yang, Yanning1 ynyang@english.ecnu.edu.cn, Zhang, Yunyi1 yyzhang.bj@foxmail.com |
| Source: | Researching & Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language. Sep2025, Vol. 5 Issue 1, p1-24. 24p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Language policy, *Bilingualism, *Code switching (Linguistics), Social context, Mandarin dialects, Functional linguistics |
| Geographic Terms: | Singapore |
| Abstract: | English, Mandarin, and Chinese dialects form a set of choices available in Chinese Singaporeans' language system. This study attempts to reveal the relationship among language policy, social context, and language choice through a systemic-functional analysis of the use of Chinese in Singapore. Using systemic functional linguistics (SFL) theories, this article establishes a general profile of language choice in Singapore society and a concrete description of code-switching created by bilingual Singaporeans. It first examines the language choices Chinese Singaporeans actually make in terms of the three variables of Field, Tenor, and Mode, which express the context of situation. In particular, it investigates (1) what kinds of content or topic of social activities are related, respectively, to the choices of English, Mandarin, and Chinese dialects, (2) how the role relationships among people are involved in the language choices, and (3) whether various forms of expression affect the choice of languages. The findings of the examination develop into a framework predicting the likely language choices in a specific social context. The article then reveals that the adjustments of Singapore's language policy have given rise to the change of language choices in certain situations. Although systemic functional theories prove to be useful for the description of the internal organization of a language from a social perspective, this article further demonstrates the capability of the theories to explain language choices in the social context directly or indirectly affected by language policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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