Resumen de Code-switching and social change in Guangzhou and Hong Kong

Yuling Pan

• This study seeks to investigate the shift of language practice in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, People's Republic of China. As Hong Kong's sovereignty has been returned to China, Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese) has made its way to Hong Kong, a Cantonese-speaking region with English äs its official language in colonial times. In Guangzhou, also a Cantonese-speaking region, Putonghua, the national Standard language, is being used in more domains due to the economic development in the region. This study aims to show (1) how social changes such äs economic reform and political change are reflected in the choice of language in Guangzhou and Hong Kong; (2) how the shift to language practice is indicated in code-switching between Putonghua and Cantonese in these two regions. The data for the study camefrom audio-recorded verbal interactions in Service encounters. I argue that code-switching between the two languages is an indicator of the changing political and economic situations in these two regions, which have brought about changes in ideology and business practice in current China.

  Implications for the use of Putonghua in these two regions will also be discussed