ABSTRACT
Most of the concepts that sociolinguists have recently suggested to re-conceptualise language and language use are based on the empirical documentation of speakers who use linguistically hybrid constructions, and these are understood as reflecting the speakers’ orientation to norms of linguistic hybridity. This chapter brings together recent sociolinguistic theorisations and data that are typical of SLA research by discussing the language use of Swiss German university students learning Danish in the light of such sociolinguistic concepts. The chapter illustrates how in some cases, the students signal an investment in and alignment with hybrid language use, but in others they ‘trans- or polylanguage’ from a form-analytic point of view, while the co- and context suggest they orient strongly to an idea of ‘pure’ Danish. In these cases, their hybrid linguistic productions are more likely to be related to their status as language learners. The key argument of the chapter is that these observations point to a need, within current sociolinguistic conceptualisations of linguistic hybridity, for a closer consideration of speaker stances towards language forms, for their repertoire restrictions, and their learner ambitions.
