Françoise Gadet (Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense)

Peut-on encore parler de variation?

Le concept de variation a sans aucun doute joué un rôle important en sociolinguistique, depuis son émergence à partir de différentes inspirations disciplinaires dans les années 50. Mais il demeure flou, à force d’être utilisé de façon large et surtout d’être interprété dans des perspectives néo-structuralistes, plus linguistiques que sociales ou même sociolinguistiques – et encore moins écolinguistiques. Ce biais du point de vue peut s’illustrer en particulier dans la dichotomie entre variationniste et variationnel. Aussi n’est-il pas superflu de continuer à se demander ce que l’on met derrière le terme.
Certes, le vocabulaire dont on dispose en sociolinguistique est largement défaillant, et les sociolinguistes ont pris l’habitude de ces termes décalés, dont il est pourtant difficile de ne pas faire usage (voir variété). Et, en effet, quel terme autre que variation permettra de caractériser la variabilité dans les usages et les représentations langagiers tout en tenant compte de la souplesse et l’adaptabilité avec lesquelles l’acteur parlant ajuste son répertoire?
On illustrera des réflexions théoriques, méthodologiques et empiriques en s’appuyant sur deux corpus récents de français: le corpus MPF sur le français “multiculturel” en région parisienne (toujours ouvert), et le corpus de français d’Amérique du nord du GTRC Le français à la mesure d’un continent (en cours de constitution).

Mari Jones (Cambridge)

1204 and all that: que le normand se nomme diversité

Since the loss of the Duchy of Normandy in 1204, the Norman territory has been fragmented. Although the split was initially political rather than linguistic, the fact that mainland Normandy has been governed by France and the Channel Islands maintained in allegiance to the English crown has meant that these territories have found themselves on different sides of an ever-widening linguistic gulf as French and English, respectively, become dominant in daily life. Although Norman is an endangered linguistic variety both on the mainland and in the Channel Islands, the fact that it is in contact with two different superstrates, one Romance, one Germanic, means that the mechanisms by which language change occurs may, at times, differ. On the mainland, Norman may undergo structural dialect loss, or de-dialectalization, via increasing ‘infiltration’ from the linguistic features of standard French (Abbau). However, in the Channel Islands, dialect loss is more functional, as Norman becomes increasingly replaced by another language variety (English) via dialect shift . This paper will examine the way in which contact with its two typologically different standard languages has influenced the development of Norman within its mainland and insular territories. It will consider the way in which advergence between one variety of Norman and its corresponding superstrate inevitably also creates divergence between Mainland and Insular Norman.

Ros Mitchell (Southampton)

Diversity in language learning: deconstructing the ‘study abroad’ experience in France

Study abroad has never been more popular, with e.g. EU ministers envisaging expansion of the ERASMUS programme to include 20% of students in Bologna Process countries by 2020 (Teichler, 2013). For linguists, study abroad is an old tradition (there has been a Franco-British language assistantship exchange scheme since 1904). Expectations are great for study abroad programmes, in terms of growth in language proficiency, intercultural competence, personal and emotional strength, and employability. In large part these are fulfilled, but with considerable individual variability and diversity of outcomes, which requires research attention and explanation (Kinginger 2008).
This presentation will review contrasting traditions of research on study abroad, with special reference to the learning of French. Three strands of research will be identified: a psycholinguistic strand, which has documented the advanced learning of ‘standard’ French with reference to native speaker linguistic norms (fluency, accuracy, complexity), e.g. Magnan & Back (2007), Lindqvist et al (2011); a sociolinguistic strand, informed by the ‘linguistics of community’, which has documented the emergence of sociolinguistic variation in learner French, again with reference to NS norms (e.g. Howard et al, 2005); and a poststructuralist strand concerned with the ‘linguistics of contact’ (Pratt 1987), which explores the plurilingual language practices of study abroad participants, e.g. within ERASMUS communities of practice (e.g.Murphy-Lejeune, 2002, Papatsiba 2006, Kalocsai 2013), and using virtual means. Examples will be drawn from a recent study of British students majoring in French and spending a year in study/work contexts in France (the LANGSNAP project: Mitchell et al forthcoming). Theoretical explanations will be sought for current divergent patterns in learner development, in terms of emergent identities and social networks, and associated language practices and learning goals.