ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I move from the discussion of language ideologies to presentation of conversational data that show how identity construction through language choice is accomplished in this setting. The methodology of Linguistic Ethnography incorporates approaches from both ethnography of communication and interactional sociolinguistics, and is aimed at analyzing local interactions as embedded in a wider social world (Creese 2008: 233).
Based on the theoretical framework of identity discussed in chapter 1, the analysis will look at different levels of identification as well as multiple and conflated aspects of identification. In particular, this analysis looks at construction of identities having to do with language competence and social class. The construction of self and other as bilingual or monolingual relies on presuppositions and implicatures about one's own and others' identities as well as social meanings of particular codes. Similarity and difference are negotiated and reproduced through these code choices.
In addition to employing bilingual discourse to position themselves vis-à-vis other speakers, the children also use language choice to create a stance in opposition to the hegemony of English and the ideology of normative monolingualism. In particular, the use of mixed language utterances and codeswitching as an unmarked choice indicate the construction of competing ideologies. However, the resistance to the hegemony of English carries a cost. I argue that the cost of embracing bilingualism in an immigrant setting is the risk of restricted social status and, potentially, socio-economic mobility.
