Poplack

Hello all!

I finally made it onto the blog! This article was interesting and frustrating at the same time. After our discussion in class I realize that there are many descriptions for the alternation of language use and words. However, giving a phenomena a name does not solve the complexities that accompany it. I think back to the article we read last week by England and can relate to the Maya who question the purpose of research. I am not saying I am against research in regard to code switching, borrowing, etc. I just feel like at some point the information can become redundant and overstated. I realize the importance of the goal of the researcher, but it feels like we are defending something that happens naturally but that is sometimes influenced socially. In most of the articles we have read, the purpose of the research is somewhat influenced (inevitably) by the researcher's personal experiences or even political views. That this is observed in the research makes me think about how the presentation of the data is viewed by the critics who have negative feelings toward this phenomena. Are we really getting our message across or are we fueling more negative feelings toward the phenomena? This is just a thought...