Blog 7“Present 一個 Project: Multilingual Hong Kong”

How do Hong Kong people view code-switching in the video?

Self-presentation:
Some people in the video mentioned that while they are code-switching or code-mixing, they did not intent to show off their billigual ability. The reason why they do so is it is the most direct and simplest way to express their view. As the youngsters were educated in English medium, some vocabularies, especially those related to acadmic, were difficult for them to identified the Chinese words to replace them while they wanted to use.

Although they do not intent to show-off their billigual ability, code-switching and code-mixing do let them show this ability. It is because only those who are fluent in both languages can code-mix or code-switch.

Face & Politeness strategy:
In the video, some people mentioned that they would usually code-mix or code-switch with their friends but not with their parents or the elder people. The reason why they would not code-switch or code-mix with parents or the elder people is the youngsters are not sure if they can understand the English or not.

This phenomenon could be analyzed in terms of face and politeness strategy. It mentioned that code-mix or code-switch would usually occur amoung friends. That mean their power relationship is equal and have a close soical distance, hence they are in the solidarity system. Within the solidarity system, people are more likely to use involvment strategy. Therefore, it could be concluded that code-mix and code-switch can be the practices to indicate that people use involvment strategy.

On the other hand, people abmitted that they would not code-mix or code-switch with elder people as they are not sure if they could understand. Therefore, if the youngsters do so, this act would threaten the negative face of the eler people who do not understand. As it is important to respect the elder people, code-mix or code-switch would not be apporiate to do with them.

Contextualization cues & frames:
Some discourse markers could be identified in the video, such as "well" and "Ok" and also some final particals as well. Those words are contextualization cues indicating that they want to shift the register from formal to informal or vice verse.

However, the use of code-mixing and code-switching by the youngsters is not because of the changing registers. They are used because they are the easiest and most direct ways express their views.

Positioning & Cultural storylines:
While the speakers code-switch or code-mix with other people, they position other people are billigual or multilingual interactively. At the same time, they also postion themselves are billigual or multilingual intentionally. All of these is because the speakers assumed the addressees known more than one language and so they both could understand and use code-mix or code-switch freely.

In Hong Kong, people mostly code-switch or code-mix between English and Chinese as those two languages are both being used in the education system. Therefore, Hong Kong people are familiar with them. Because of this, you seldom find that there is other language being code-mix or code-switch amoung Hong Kong people. Therefore, it could be a kind of cultural storyline to show Hong Kong is a billigual city.

Conversational Style:
While people code-mix or code-switch, they adopte in a causal coversationsl style. It is because people tend to believe that code-mixing or code-switching are only apporiated in informal or semi-formal situations.

As there are different coversational styles, some people may think that code-mixing and code-switching are the easiest way to express feeling while some may think that they are the mans to show off their high educational background. Due to the different view of using them, it is better for the people using it in an informal situation.

Online interview

This interview which is about location of residence amd social identity in Hong Kong is done via MSN.


Connie (C) and Rinky (R)

C:HIHI..... 有空嗎??
R: 咩事?
C: 想搵你幫手做功課 ~~
R: 做咩先....
C: 搵你幫手做個interview.... 但係份功課要upload係個blog到ar!!! 唔該你吖^v^
R: OK la!
C: 首先,我想問你住係邊區???
R:屯門
C: 住緊公屋, 私人樓or 居屋?
R:公屋
C:點解住係屯門呀??
R:吓!! 阿媽住係屯門,我咪係屯門囉!
C:咁如果有得choose, 你會想住邊呀??
R: umum...... kowloon 掛~
C: 九龍邊區?? and why?
R: 可能尖咀la...... 方便囉, 多野買, 方便go school, 同埋遲d出來做野都係九龍la...
C:you re right!!! 咁你唔搬?
R: 搬! 有錢至得ga!
C: 你啱! 咁你都認為住九龍區d人有錢d?
R: um.... 睇邊區啦! 住尖咀咪係囉.... 住深水埗咪差d囉!
C: 咁住屯門呢?
R:咪好似我地咁囉.....
C: 啫係點呀??
R: um. 簡單d囉.... 無咁多野玩囉!!
C: OK.... thank you ar!!!
R: 咁就我la??
C: OK la.... 唔該哂 ^v^
R: OK啦!! BB!

Field Blog #5

男人之虎詹瑞文─笑爆沙田火車站 1:22 -1:52

G: Girl B:Boy J: Jim Chim

( Only the boy and Jim Chim are talking)

J: I'll keep adding my shows. I'm adding show.

B: I saw it. Your poster has written that.

J: Is it great?

B: Um...

J: Which posters you like most?

B: The Donald Tsang's one

(The girl comes close to them and interpret)

G: Actually, you both can hang up the call.

J: Don't you use the kind of internal network that no need to pay extra money?

B: Used up, needed to pay!

J: Oh, OK. Then hang it on.


J: So, did you watched my show?

B: No.... [G: Yes!]

J: You've watched it already. She's watched it but you haven't. You both are not friend...

B: Why you don't ask me to come along to watch the show?

[All: Laughing...]

Analysis:

Part1 ---

J: I'll keep adding my shows. I'm adding show.

B: I saw it. Your poster has written that.

At the beginning, there are only the boy and Jim and Jim got the floor first by telling the boy he is adding his shows. Then, with a short pause to signal the boy that he is giving up his floor. Next, the boy give a response so that he can got the floor. As there are no third person involve in this conversation, it would be no need for Jim to select who will be the next speaker.


Part 2 ---

G: Actually, you both can hang up the call.

J: Don't you use the kind of internal network that no need to pay extra money?

When the girl came to interpret, she was trying to get the floor from Jim and started a new topic (Hanging up the phone). After her turn, she then used a pause and falling intonation to single that she was ready to give up the floor.

Part 3 ---

J: So, did you watched my show?

B: No.... [G: Yes!]

After that, Jim kept on asking them if they had watched his show before. As there are three people involved in this conversation, and Jim did not select the next speaker. Therefore, both of the two got the floor at the same time and overlapped each other's words.

Field blog 4

Transcribing

C = Chandler B= employer

Frame: Interviewing

C: Also, I wan the appointed person of my company transaction for the KR5 to GR6 system.

B: That’s pleasure to transform.

C: That I did. That I did!

B: So, let’s talk a little bit of your “doodies”

C: (hesitating) My duties? Alright!

B: You’ll be holding a whole division. So, you have a lot of “doodies”.

C: (hesitating) I see.

B: But there’ll be… perhaps 30people on the usual. You can dot a certain amount on them.

C: (hesitating) Good to know.

B: We can go into detail……

C: No, No, I beg of it.

(The employer stood up and shook hands with Chandler)

Frame: Shifting from Interviewing to Feedback

B: Alright, then. We’ll have a definite answer for you on Monday. But I think I could say with some confident that you’ll be in well here.

C: Really?

B: Absolutely! You can relax. You did great.

( They walked toward to the door.)

Fream: Shifting from Feedback to Clearfication

C: I got to say thank you. I was really nervous. You have talked, come on, to show me too many jokes and that was really hard to take side step, then “doodies” thing.

(The employer looked confused.)

C: Duties. “Doodies”. “ Poo.”

B: (confusing) “Poo”?

C: Oh, My God! This doesn’t count. Ok! The interview was over. That was the real Chandler of being there. There is just some crazy guy at all.

(Chandler looked outside the corridor and pretended to call the security guy)

Fream: Shifting from Clearfication to Joking

C: Call the security! There is a crazy guy at all.

B: “Poo”!

C: I look forward to your call!

Contrextualizationcues:

• Interviewing frame--- The tone of their talking are formal and serious.

• Feedback frame --- The employer stood up and shook his hand to indicate that the interview was over.

• Clearfication frame --- Chanlder talked about the "doodies" thing again and wanted to clearfy that the employer was making joke with him with a casual tone.
  

• Joking frame --- Chanlder changed his voice to pretend calling the security.
  

Frame shifting:

• From Interviewing frame to Feedback frame --- Their tone of talking changed from serious to causal. Also, The posture of them were changed from sitting properly to standing up.

• From Feedback frame to Clearfication frame --- While Chanlder wanted to have the fun again, he talked about the "doodies" thing with smile. After he realized he made some mistakes, he changed his voice again to show his apology.

• From Clearfication frame to Joking frame --- He changed his voice to a higher pitch to indicate that he is making joke and the facial expression changed.

Field blog 3 --- Shopping experiences

Stationery store v.s Vivienne Westwood

Stationery store near my home
When I entered the stationery store, the owner who has known me since I was nine said "Hi! How's going recently?" with smile. It was the involvement politeness strategies to maintain my positive face, the desired to be liked. She used this strategy to show the concern of my visiting. During the shopping period, I looked around to find some suitable notebooks and pens. When she kept on asking my recent situation, I pretended that I did not hear to show that I want to maintain my negative face which I want to be given space. Afterward, another boy came and asked for photocopying. Therefore, she stopped asking me question and served that boy. While she was photocopying, I deliberately ask her question such as “ how much is that pen?”, “ How many different colors do this type of the pen has?”. At that moment, she felt embarrassed and asked me to wait for a moment. Indeed, what I did was a face threatening act which threatened her negative face. Because she would want having a space to serve the other customer instead of serving both of us at the same time.

Vivienne Westwood in Shatin New Plaza
While I entered the shop, the salesperson said “welcome” with a nice smile. However, she did not come near by and just left me walking around by my self. It showed that she used the Independence politeness strategy to maintain my negative face which I could enjoy my space and respected my freedom to walk around. After circulating for a while, I stood in front of a showcase which was displayed some wallets. A moment later, a salesperson came and asked “Miss, may I help you?”. It indicated that she used the involvement politeness strategy to maintain my positive face that she was paying attention to me. Then, “ Sure, I would like to have a look of this wallet” I answered, pointing to one of the wallet. While she put the wallet out from the showcase, she said “ this one has red color as well and it would be more suitable for a young lady to use the red one as the black looks mature”. While she offering me those advices, I did not pay attention to it deliberately and even with no facial expression respond. The salesperson looked like feeling upset and just being silent afterwards. In fact, what I did was a face threatening act which threatened her positive face. Because she want her advices would be taken or pay attention with.



Comparison of both situations

Stationery Store
Power (P) Nil Distance (D) D- Weight of Imposition (W) W-

Vivienne Westwood Shop
Power (P) Nil Distance (D) D+ Weight of Imposition (W) W-

Regarding the Power (P), the relationship between the salesperson and me should be equal (nil) in the two shops. However, for the distance (D), as I have known the owner of the stationery store for a long time, the distance of us (D-) is relatively closer then the salesperson in Vivienne Westwood shop (D+). In term of Weight of Imposition (W), for both of them, selling product is their job duty, so it would not be a serious matter for them(W-).

To conclude, as the only different of them is the distance relationship. Therefore, the owner of the stationery store used the involvement strategy and the salesperson would most likely use the independent strategy. However, besides those dimensions, there are still other factors would influence the choice of the politeness strategy, such as the image of the shop would like to project to their customers.

Homework 2 An ethnomethodological experiment

Face to Face Conversation

C=My Friend M= I ( Myself )

C: Hi, Connie. How’s your semester?

M: You mean which semester. For the last one, it was just very busy. But it’s OK as it has passed. For this year, as it has just started for a week only, I feel nothing special.

C: OK… Then, have you eaten yet?

M: Of course, I have. For the first day I was born until now, I have eaten much food. However, I am hungry now as I haven’t had lunch yet.

C: So, do you like sandwiches?

M: What do you mean if I like sandwiches? Do you mean making a sandwich or eating a sandwich? If you mean making a sandwich, yes, I like cooking including making sandwiches. If you mean eating a sandwich, then, I would prefer having some paste instead of a sandwich.

C: Connie, do we have some misunderstanding. I just wanted to ask you to have lunch with me. Why you seem always criticize with me? Fine, I will have my lunch with myself then, and you could have yours with yourself. (She was getting angry with my misunderstanding and went away.)

Analysis:

In the whole conversation, I always criticized that her questions were not clear enough. She felt that it was unusual for me not to understanding her questions and so she became impatient and angered with me. Because she expected we would understand well with each other and so no need to spoke out every word.

First Field Blog 1 (Fieldwork in CityU)

One boy and one girl were observed. They stayed in self-study area of yellow zone.

They sat on the chair side by side. There was a table in front of them. The boy had a book and some stationery while the girl had a NDS, a mp3, some drinks and snacks on the table. All of those thing are the setting.

For the appearance, both of them dressed in a causal way.

For the manner, the boy was reading his book in a serious way and only focus on the book only.
At the same time, the girl was playing her NDS with a boring facial expression.

Based on about "Fronts", I believe that the boy is a student and the girl who was just sitting there waited for someone.

According to the Week one reading, when we perform these roles, we tey to maintain and promote a certain 'line'.
Therefore, the 'line' of the boy is that he was working hard to study and take studying as a serious matter.
The 'line' of the girl is that she was bored by waiting for somebody for a long time.

For the routine, the boy always read the book from left to right and from top to the bottom. While he finished one page, he would turn over and started to read another page. It is the routine of reading book.
The girl always read the instruction of the NDS game and followed the instruction to finished each task until she completed all the tasks and jumped to another level. It is the routine of playing NDS.

For the region, although they were in the public places, I thought there were no audience watching them and the posture of the girl was very causal which sould not sit in the same if she thought there were an audience.
Also, the boy paid attention on the book only and thought there were no one around. Therefore, I think they were on backstage.

Although they did not have much interactions, I could know that they are in team. Because, there was a tie-sign which was the sharing ear-phone among them. It would be the most obvious indication to prove that they were in team.