Question

to base your answers on the reading. Bring a copy of your answers to class as well for discussion. 1. Identify the relationship between diglossia and bilingualism in different contexts. Give some examples. 2. How is diglossia to be understood today?

Answer 1

1) Bilingualism is the understanding of two languages by a person. There should be a balanced command of a person over two different languages which should be learnt, written and spoken with absolute precision and accuracy. These languages help in the interaction of two people through normal communication patterns and interaction in the society as explained by Mohanty in 1994. Diglossia is the use of different forms of the same language differently during communication in family and in a different way while interacting outside in the society as defined by Crystal in 2003. One of them can be characterized as a high origination variety and other is termed as the low origination variety. There is high classical and low colloquial language as used in the Arabic colloquial language. The example includes the Arabic language and the Paraguay language. It was defined by Charles Ferguson in 1959. The high language is used for communication in the outside environment and L when the language variety is spoken during the family interactions among the Arabic system. There are different codes which are used in different circumstances to depict different language information during communication. H variety is used in politics and lecture and L language is used while interacting with friends in the society. These examples exemplify the relationship between diglossia and bilingualism persistent in the society.

2)In present terms, diglossia is spoken in the form of H and L in different regions during different situations. H language is more powerful and prestigious as compared to the L language which is considered the local low form while interacting with the community friends. The Haitian creole language is spoken in different varieties as the H and L forms. H is taught whereas the L is learned while communicating and interacting. There is less usage of grammar in L form as explained by Wardhaugh and Spolsky in 1998. The language is used to depict social power and prestige of different cultural and traditional groups living in the society. Brown and Gilman have used French words like Tu and Vous where they are depicted by T and V respectively. T depicts power and solidarity and V depicts mutual respect and social distance among different people when interacting with one another in the society.