Aspects of Interlanguage Contact: Greek and Australian English.

Abstract

Linguists accept that no languages, the users of which have come into contact with one another, are completely pure and free of transferred and borrowed language forms. Interlanguage transferences and borrowings, therefore, are considered a natural, universal phenomenon, and not accidental. This paper aims at providing a cohesive account of the linguistic situation which has resulted from the interlanguage contact between Greek and Australian English. It will focus on two essential aspects: the impact of Australian English upon Greek in the immigrant context of Australia, and the influence of Greek upon Australian English. To present a more comprehensive picture, it will examine both direct and indirect influences, as well as their impact on different levels of language analysis (mainly phonological, morphological, and lexical), illustrated by a variety of oral and written (including literary) examples.