"Ya Abee, I’m full”: Strategic use of address terms and code-switching in multilingual language socialization during mealtimes

Relatively little is known about language socialisation in multilingual contexts. This presentation is based on findings of ongoing work based on a family of four, who are multinguals in Arabic, two further Arabic dialects, English, and French. The analysis focuses on the use of these languages during dinner by family members in conversation. The choice of code and creative use of address terms are analysed carefully as language socialisation strategies in a bid to understand how socialisation takes place (viewing both parents and children as agents of socialisation) and how family members present various and varied social identities. Using data from 12 hours of video recorded family mealtime conversation it becomes clear that choice of code and linguistic tools are indexes of the desired identities the speakers (both parents and children) wish to manifest, and the habitus the parents wish to inculcate in the children. Not only do they negotiate, re-negotiate, create and re-create their identities, but they also challenge those of other speakers through their use of these two consistent mediums, code choice and linguistic tool. Children challenge the authority of their parents through use of address terms unique to Arabic (and a few other languages) and change code during conversation to resist parental orders and still maintain social order at the dining table, whilst presenting varied identities at the same time. Similarly, in addition to manifesting their identities, the parents also use code and address terms in strategic ways to forward their agenda of their desired socialization and ensure that the children carry out their orders; whilst managing their behaviour at the same time without resorting to physical tactics.