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Abstract
This article argues that naming linguistic practices "ethnolectal" is a praxis with ideological consequences that sociolinguists fail sufficiently to address. It suggests that a transformation of linguistic differences into ethnolect-codes quickly falls prey to homogenizing groups and their language use, obscures speakers' styling practices as well as the relations between "ethnolect" and standard language speakers. Furthermore, "ethnolect" as an analytical concept buttresses the idea that linguistic practices are caused by ethnicity, when it is more likely to assume language use is shaped by how speakers interpret prevailing representations of ethnicity and style their language use in relation to that. As an alternative, I argue that ethnolects be viewed as representations of particular ways of speaking that do not necessarily correspond to systematic linguistic practices. Sociolinguists therefore need to investigate how local and general perceptions of ways of speaking lead to specific styling practices, and integrate these into their descriptions. In addition, they need to be aware that their own work is social action as well, which requires taking into account the concerns of who gets labeled. This is illustrated with data from a case study showing how Belgian adolescents of Moroccan background resist an ethnolectal categorization of their routine Dutch.
Key words
adolescents
Belgium
Dutch
ethnolect
identity
representation
styling
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1 Introduction
Inner-city ethnic minority youth in western societies have in recent decades drawn increasing attention as a problematic and somewhat dangerous group. Dramatic instances such as the riots in Paris in the autumn of 2005 or other signs of antisocial behavior fuel this perception, as well as the related need to explain (and contain) young people's behavior. This fascination has its linguistic counterpart, visible in an outpour of research that focuses on, a.o., youth language and street language in multiethnic urban neighborhoods (Androutsopoulos & Scholz, 1998; Appel & Schoonen, 2005; Kotsinas, 1988, 1998; Nortier, 2001; Quist (this volume); Stenström, Andersen, & Hasund, 2002), language use in ethnically populated suburban areas (Doran, 2004; Kalimeyer, 1996), and in schools (Eckert, 2000; Heller, 1999; Jaspers, 2005, 2006; Rampton, 2006) as well as leisure sites where styling and crossing practices have been described (Androutsopoulos & Georgakopoulou, 2003; Auer & Dirim, 2003; Bucholtz, 1999; Cutler, 1999; Hewitt, 1986; Kallmeyer & Keim, 2003;...