Reflections on Rampton, Ben (1999)Styling the Other: Introduction. Journal of Sociolingusitics 3/4, p. 421-427

From Wikiversity

Ben Rampton has developed the concept of crossing in relation to the term code switching. While code switching is mainly used to describe the practice of switching between to languages or varieties (codes), crossing refers to speakers not only switching between to codes but also combining two or more languages or varieties in order to create a new one. Moreover, in crossing speakers use languages belonging to speech communities which they don’t consider themselves members of. Traditionally code switching has been seen as practice done by a speaker in good command of the two codes that he or she switching between. However, crossing blurs the direct relation between language use and belonging to a language community.

Ramton's article should be read as an introduction to a new journal, opening up for a new view on language, language practices, language community and identity in sociolinguistics. This opens up for a more complex understanding of the ties between language user, identity and speech community. Such an understanding focus less on the structures which limit and controls the speech and interact ional behaviour of an individual and more on the active agency of individuals.

While in earlier social linguistics, researcher has mainly been interested in describing language practices within a particular group or community in a specific cultural space, Rampton wants to highlight the importance of looking into sociolinguistic processes moving across on context to another (1999:423).