Oldal 58 [58]
CHAPTER 4 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
The example above shows how a lack of code-switch, that is a monolingual
candidate as surface realization, complies more optimally than a code¬
switched instance with the principle of Solidarity. The lack of switch in line
1 (in bold) is a clear indication of how Solidarity is created at the expense
of losing ‘face’ and the position of authority. As both participants are native
speakers of Hungarians, Hungarian is perceived as the default language of their
communication. However, as the graduate student is also working together
with the professor, there is an official work relationship between the student
and the professor. Hungarian, the native language, acts as a means of creating
an unofficial relationship between the professor and her student based on
the common cultural, historical heritage, as well as a sense of belonging in a
foreign, American setting. English, though, is the language of work, indicating
an official relationship, in which the student is definitely in a subordinate
position to the professor. The professor’s email is a request to the student.
By not switching to English, the professor indicates that her request is from
an equal partner, from another Hungarian living in the US, and not from a
professor, who could simply command the student to carry out this task. By
relying on the language of solidarity, the professor also hints that the request
she makes is not supposed to be part of the official cooperation between her
and the student. Therefore, the lack of code-switching shows that instead
of commanding the student, who is, in an academic hierarchy, much lower
positioned than the professor, the professor uses the language of solidarity
to express a polite request. A polite request, which can be rejected, while
a professor’s command cannot, means that the professor loses part of her
superior face and position of authority. However, to save complete face-losing
and to gain some authority, the professor in line 1 switches to English to clarify
the request in English. In Bhatt and Bolonyai’s framework, the lack of code¬
switch, the monolingual candidate complies more optimally with the principle
of Solidarity than a perceived code-switched instance. Yet, the code-switched
instance would serve more optimally as a means of mitigating authority- and
face-losing, complying with the principle of Power and Face.
Example [8] is an indication of how a code-switch creates solidarity based
on the “value of ethnic connection”'*. In this situation a customer is trying to
withdraw money from a post office. The conversation takes place between the
customer and the clerk in Nairobi. In Nairobi, both Swahili and English are
used as official languages, but for service functions Swahili is preferred. Lou
is the language of the Lou ethnic group™.
43 Bhatt — Bolonyai, Ibid., 531
44 Myers-Scotton, Social Motivations for Code-switching
+ 56 +