Dyglossia and Polyglossia

By: Selly Oei

The definition of dyglossia was introduced by Ferguson (1959). As cited in Holmes (2008), said that dyglossia happens when there are two languages or language varieties exist in a community. This happens because people use more than one languages, which can be consist of their native language (vernacular) and their official language as national language. Basically, the speaker uses one specific language in a certain situation and uses another language in other situation. Holmes (2008), said that dyglossia has three features. First, there are two different varieties of the same language that are used in the community, with one considered as high (H) variety which is used in formal context and the other a low (L) variety which is used in informal context in daily conversation. Second, each of variety is used for different functions, but both are complete one another. Third, the function of H-variety is not for daily conversation at all. The (H) variety (High variety) is regarded as the standard variety and people use it as formal or official situations, such as government, conference event, formal letters, broadcasts, religious services, and teaching. In the other hand, the (L) variety (Low variety), is regarded for informal situations, such as family members, neighbors, local markets and talking between friends or close friend. Everyone can speak the (L) variety and will do so in informal situation, but not everyone can use the (H) variety. This phenomenon is due to the distinct level of linguistic knowledge the speakers have. Some examples of dyglossia are Arabic, Modern Greek, German Swiss and Haitian Creole. For instance, in Swiss-German country, the students will use Standard German in their school because mostly the books and newspapers that they use in Standard German, but when they get home, they will switch their language and use the local Swiss-German in their home as the dialect on daily conversation

The term of dyglossia is defined as social or institutionalized bilingualism (Holmes, 2008). It occurs in two varieties which are needed to hide all the community’s domains. There are some dyglossic communities of limited individual bilingualism as happens in Haiti which ninety per cent of the population is monolingual that using Haitian Creole. Therefore, they cannot actively contribute to additional formal domains. This often becomes the way of considering the vary of potential relationship between diglossia and bilingualism. It associates the degree idealized model. However it usefully identifies the acute positions that are potential.

       If we have the tendency to prohibit the terms dyglossia and bilingualism to talk with completely different languages (rather than dialects or styles), there are four parts of dyglossia that actually can be differed from bilingualism. First, both dyglossia and bilingualism are used together. It happens once the society is dyglossic, two languages are needed to hide the total vary of domains, and (most) people are bilingual. As an example, Republic of Vanuatu, people speak the native village language (e.g. Erromangan, Aulua), additionally as Bislama, the interlanguage of Republic of Vanuatu would illustrate this term. Second, Bilingualism while not diglossia, happens once people are bilingual but there is no community-wide purposeful differentiation within the use of their languages. Several English speaking countries deal in this description. People are also bilingual in Australia, USA, European countries and New Island, however their two languages do not seem to be utilized by the total community in numerous domains. Third, diglossia while not bilingualism. It happens when two languages are used for various functions but by for the most part completely different speech communities. This is often true for Haiti, since the majority are monolingual for Haitian Creole. This example tends to characterize colonized countries with clear-cut socio-economic class divisions. As an example, the elite people speak one language and also the lower people categories use another, for instance, the French-speaking elite in nineteenth century in Russia and in eleventh century in Norman England country. There will continuously be some bilingual people who act as go-betweens, however the general pattern is one amongst the dyglossia while not bilingualism. Forth, neither dyglossia nor bilingualism is used. It happens in monolingual communities and this is often typical of isolated ethnic communities where there is very little contact with alternative linguistic groups. Iceland, particularly before the twentieth century, is associated degree example of such a community, however there are also communities like in this places like New Guinea Papua and the Amazon basin.  

Besides dyglossia, there are more than two language or language varieties exists in a community named polyglossia. According to Lindsay (2007), stated that polyglossia is a term that refers to a person's ability to communicate in more than two languages. Basically, polyglossia situations involve two contrasting varieties (high and low) as well as diglossia but in general, it refers to communities that regularly use more than two languages. The concept of polyglossia would be explained in the Singapore Chinese speaking community. There are three languages that are used by Singaporean Chinese namely Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hokkien. Literally, Singaporean Chinese people will use Mandarin for their job and Cantonese and Hokkien is used for daily conversation among the family. So, it can be considered that in the Singapore, the using of Mandarin is used as formal language, while Cantonese and Hokkien is used as Informal language. Based on Gupta (1992), she observes that many members of this community are able in different varieties of English such as SSE (Singapore Standard English), an H-variety which is close to the standard variety taught in schools and use Mandarin language and SCE (Singapore Colloquial English) an L-variety that is widely used in informal situations like Hokkien and Cantonese. This colloquial variety is called as 'Singlish'. Naturally, students of Singaporean will switch their language in different situations, for instance, they will use SSE (Singapore Standard English) when they are in the classroom, then when they go to the canteen, they immediately switch their language become SCE (Singapore Colloquial English)  to talk with their friends. However, students need to be aware of the ability to use a more standard variety easily and competently in some situations is absolutely necessary for their future. So, the term of both diglossia and  polyglossia describes as complementary code each other use in all communities.

Based on the explanation above, it can be concluded that communities typically reflect about differences. The community usually develops through language and it happens due to distinct of languages, cultures, races, and nationalities.  In Genesis 2:18 shows that “not good for the man to be alone” so God created a suitable helper named Eve. Furthermore, in Genesis 10:20 talk about various communities, clans, language, and nations. The situation of Babel can show that there were distinct of linguistic communities. As an English teacher in the future needs to encourage students to select the most appropriate variety of language for each situation. Furthermore, teachers need to recognize the ability to switch appropriately between the H varieties and L varieties of language when it required demonstrating appropriate behavior that shows a good understanding of language of the society linguistics demands that they live in. Trying to encourage them to use the standard variety for some purposes is the successful way for their future. Teachers should pray for and ask God’s help for the guidance through Holy Spirit enabling every communication in language. Hence, God can empower communication and understanding across communities as well as the understanding of interconnectedness in life.

REFERENCES :

Holmes, J. (2008). An introduction to sociolinguistics: Fourth edition. USA: Routledge.

Ferguson, C. A. (1959). Diglossia. Word, 15, 325-340. Also in T. Huebner (Ed.), Sociolinguistic                       perspectives : Papers on language in society 1959-1994 / C. A. Ferguson (pp. 25-39). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Gupta, A. F. (1992). Contact features of Singapore Colloquial English. In K. Bolton & H. Kwok       (Eds.), Sociolinguistics today: International perspectives (pp. 323-345). London and New York: Routledge.

Lindsay, J. (2007). Between tongues: translation and of/ in performance in Asia. Singapore: NUS Press.

Trudgill, P. (1995). Sociolinguistics: An introduction to language and society (Revised Edition).   London, UK: Penguin.