Youth Language Practices and Urban Language Contact in Africa

Description

The ways in which young people use language provides fascinating insights into language practice and contact. Written by a team of key scholars in the field, this book describes and theorises 'male, in-group, street-aligned, youth language practice' in urban centres in Africa, exploring the creative use of language, and its function in peer sociality and contestation of social identities. The book contributes to theoretical debates surrounding multimodal language, language contact, standards and variation, and language change. It highlights that 'youth languages' are not to be confused with the urban languages, varieties, and vernaculars of the general population, and that claims of autonomy and candidacy as national languages are flawed. The book demonstrates that the youthful practices of males are nevertheless worthy of scholarly attention: the framing of youth languages within the field of language contact will stimulate situated and comprehensive studies of the role and significance of youth practices. 04.0_pp_vi_vi_Copyright_page 05.0_pp_vii_viii_Contents 06.0_pp_ix_ix_Figures 07.0_pp_x_x_Tables 08.0_pp_xi_xiv_Contributors 09.0_pp_xv_xviii_Series_Editors_Foreword 10.0_pp_xix_xx_Preface 11.0_pp_xxi_xxii_Abbreviations 12.0_pp_1_12_Introduction 13.0_pp_13_38_Language_Contact_and_Structure_in_Urban_IsiXhosa_and_Associated_Youth_Languages 14.0_pp_39_65_Not_Deep_but_Still_IsiXhosa 15.0_pp_66_93_Rethinking_Youth_Language_Practices_in_South_Africa 16.0_pp_94_114_Tsotsitaals_Urban_Vernaculars_and_Contact_Linguistics 17.0_pp_115_140_Grammatical_Hybridity_in_Camfranglais 18.0_pp_141_158_Sheng_and_Engsh_in_Kenyas_Public_Spaces_and_Media 19.0_pp_159_181_Exploring_Hybridity_in_Ivorian_French_and_Nouchi 20.0_pp_182_200_Authenticity_and_the_Object_of_Analysis 21.0_pp_201_206_Index