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Normativity in Language and Linguistics
Edited by Aleksi Mäkilähde, Ville Leppänen and Esa Itkonen
[Studies in Language Companion Series 209] 2019
► pp. 235–268

Norms of correctness and rationality in research on code-switching

Among different types of norms, two of perhaps the most relevant for linguistics are those of correctness and rationality. The aim of this chapter is to demonstrate the relevance of both to research on code-switching. I approach the topic from the perspective of the philosophy of linguistics in an analysis of certain ontological and epistemological problems in CS research, and use this analysis to draw methodological implications for the field in general. In particular, a methodological synthesis between intuition and observation is discussed and illustrated with an analogy between languages and games.

Keywords: code-switching, multilingualism, syntax, games, rules, rationality, norms, normativity
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The concepts of norm and normativity
    • 2.1The notion of rule-governed behaviour
    • 2.2On rationality and the explanation of actions
  • 3.Syntactic research on code-switching: An overview of approaches
  • 4.An alternative interpretation and a methodological proposal
    • 4.1A reinterpretation: Back to basics
    • 4.2Methodological implications: Terminology, methods, testing, explanation
  • 5.Explaining code-switching: The role of rationality
  • 6.Discussion: Syntheses and analogies
  • 7.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 4 December 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.209.09mak
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