Page 94 - Compétences plurilingues : perspectives et actions / Plurilingual competencies: perspectives and actions

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L. Krahula Dolezı́, K. Mullerova: Plurilingual Competence in a Child: A Case Study
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1. B: ((babicka odchazı́ do obchodu a loucı́ se)) bye
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/B: ((grandma goes to the store and says goodbye)) bye/
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2. K: bye (…) Adelko (.) reknes babicce ahoj?
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/K: bye (...) Adélka (.) will you say hello to your grandmother?/
3. A: ((sedı́ u stolu a maluje)) bye
/A: ((sitting at a table and painting)) bye/
4. B: ((mluvı́ k A)) tesovevi lahh et happanim sheani ereh otahh?
/B: ((talking to A)) can you turn your face towards me, so I can see you?/
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5. A: ((otocı́ se k babicce)) Bye bye
/A: ((turns to grandmother)) bye bye/
6. B: ma att rotsa sheani avi lakh behaftaa?
/B: what do you want me to bring for you, as a surprise?/
7. A: Lı́zatko
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/A: lollipop/
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8. B: ((zopakuje cesky)) lizatko?
/B: ((repeats in Czech)) lizatko?/
9. A: lo (.) mits tappuim
/A: no (.) apple juice/
10. B: mits tappuim
/B: apple juice/
We could interpret this particular instantiation as a result of memory limitations or it might
be the case that the child was lacking its equivalent in other languages, that is that the child
did not have the corresponding term as it probably had not been confronted with it in the
other languages’ reality yet. Similarly, example 3 below. Again, possibly the fact that the En-
glish word came in the dialogue might be connected to regular activities concerning English
in the kindergarten, in particular object naming when describing pictures.
Example 3

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1. K: myslı́s severnı́ pol? (…) jo? (...) tam jak jsou lednı́ medvedi?
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/K: do you mean the north pole? (...) yes? (...) where the polar bears are?/
2. A: pingvı́ns
/A: penguins/
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3. K: a (…) tucnaci?
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/K: and (...) penguins?/
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4. A: tucnaci
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/A: penguins/
Code-switching – sentences
In the last example 4 we can see an interesting language use among the child, her babysitter
and her mother. Languages used are Czech, English and Hebrew. The mother, the child
and her younger sister speak Hebrew. English is a language common to all communication
participants, and Czech to a certain degree, too.

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