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Programme: accepted abstracts

Abstract ID: 1364

Part of Session 161: Commercialism and language use (Other abstracts in this session)

Urban Youth Language in Multicultural France: Case Study in Lyon Open-Air Market

Authors: Benghida, Sonia
Submitted by: Benghida, Sonia (Cardiff University, United Kingdom)

The paper I plan to present is the result of interviews conducted in an open air market in Lyon (France); the purpose of these interviews was to understand how immigrant youth use urban youth language as a means of creating an identity for themselves.  The multiethnic youth language is not adopted by immigrants for their lack of proper French but is a means used for their relations with their peers.

The research intends to demonstrate how the situation particular to modern France has affected the lives of youngsters with an immigrant background, especially in their use of the French language. The urban youth language is revealed to be more than just an immigrant dialect; rather it is an important tool in the creation of unity among the young population of suburbs who are touched by segregation. In addition, by examining market-driven practices in a range of individual contexts this research offers an in-depth examination of the relationship between the existing languages and the market process. Therefore, this paper does not only underline the characteristics of the urban youth language, but it also demonstrates the importance of the community in the development of an identity among the multiethnic youth.