Hindi-english, Code Switching and Language Choice in Urban, Uppermiddle-class Indian Families

Abstract

Most bilingual speakers tend to 'code switch' between the languages they speak. The present study deals with code-switching and language choice and the speech of Hindi-English bilinguals residing in North India and the United States. The data discussed in this study are the results of personal observations and interviews made over a period of five years. Both the choice of language and the extent of code switching are influenced by the variables of domain, status, intimacy and topic. Therefore, the situations of Indian families in the United States are different from those of their counter-parts in India.