Code-mixing and syntactic transfer in child bilingualism

Abstract of B.CogSci Thesis

CHUNG Tak Chuen, Michael


Code-mixing is a phenomenon of bilingual children; the way and the rate of code-mixing have aroused the interest of many scholars. There are two main
factors that affect the rate of code-mixing: language dominance and input. In this study, we have recorded the conversations between a Cantonese-English
bilingual child and the interlocutors. After eliminating some useless data, we have used the CLAN program to interpret the data and see whether it matches our prediction that a Cantonese-dominant child would show a higher rate of mixing in English than in Cantonese. The result is only partially consistent with our hypothesis. Dominance showed some effect on code-mixing and switching.