LINGUIST List 10.1759

Fri Nov 19 1999

Qs: Air Traffic Controller Lang, Code-Switching

Editor for this issue: Lydia Grebenyova <lydialinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Raija Solatie, Air traffic controller language
2. Sophie ALBY, Code-switching: matrix language

	Hello my colleages,

I am going to do research on "air trafic controller language". I would be very
happy if you know if there exists any research done on this subject, in any 
framework : phonological, phonetical, semantical, syntactical, psychological 
etc.

Thanks for your help in advance
Mrs Raija Solatie from Finland

e-mail: raija.solatiekolumbus.fi

I am presently doing some doctoral work on french-kali'na (an amerindian
language spoken in French Guiana - Carib family) code-switching.

I am having trouble with the question of the 'base language' of the
sentences where I have occurences of code-mixing.
Ellen F. Prince and Susan Pintzuk (Bilingual Code-Switching and the
Open/Closed Class Distinction - University of Pennsylvania - January 1984)
states that :
"Following Joshi 1983 and others, we used the tensed verb of each tensed S
to determine the matrix language of that S".
But then how can I find the matrix language within the following examples : 

1) il y a owi �cole
 exist. det. N
" il y a une �cole "
"there is a school" (on the drawing that the child is describing)

2) � c�t� owi cocotier man
 prep. det. N 3�p.-�tre
 a tree it/there is
" il y a un cocotier � c�t� "
"there is a tree next to something" (on the drawing that the child is
describing)

Obviously, the matrix language in 1) is french and in 2) is kali'na. But how
can this constatation fit with the hypothesis stating that we can determine
the matrix language by using the tensed verb as there are no tensed verbs in
these two sentences ?

And how could I determine the matrix language of this last example : 

3) il ya trois cocotiers man
 exist. num. N 3�p.-�tre 
 there is three tree it/there is
" il y a trois cocotiers "

Is there a general definition of matrix language that would fit for tensed S
and for other types of sentences ?

Please reply to me on : albycayenne.ird.fr
I will send a summary on the LinguistList.
Thanks.
Sophie ALBY.