New lingualisms, same old codes

Abstract

This article seeks to highlight an example of the continued prevalence of code-based views of language and telementational accounts of communication in prominent areas of contemporary sociolinguistic theorising. Adopting a Harrisian integrationist perspective, I discuss and critique the ontological assumptions regarding language and communication which underlie the notions of 'polylingualism' and 'polylingualism' as introduced by the Danish sociolinguist Jens Jørgensen and various co-authors. Although they reject the notion of discrete, enumerable languages as ontological realities, they nevertheless propose a method of linguistic analysis based on the identification of linguistic features in the form of units and regularities reminiscent of a Saussurean-style structuralism. I argue that the explanation for this lies in their adherence to a mythical view of language and communication, namely one which views language as consisting of coded bi-planar units and linguistic communication as involving the transfer of mental content from one mind to another. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.