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Kongish: Translanguaging and the Commodification of an Urban Dialect

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title Kongish: Translanguaging and the Commodification of an Urban Dialect
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Tong King Lee
SeriesElements in Applied Linguistics
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:75
Dimensions(mm): Height 229,Width 152
ISBN/Barcode 9781009281133
ClassificationsDewey:417.2091732
Audience
Professional & Vocational
Illustrations Worked examples or Exercises

Publishing Details

Publisher Cambridge University Press
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publication Date 1 December 2022
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

This Element introduces Kongish as a translingual and multimodal urban dialect emerging in Hong Kong in recent years and still in the making. Through the lens of translanguaging and linguistic commodification, and using the popular Facebook page Kongish Daily as a case in point, the study outlines the semiotic profile of Kongish. It examines how Kongish communications draw on a full range of performative resources, thriving on social media affordances and a creative-critical ethos. The study then turns to look at how Kongish is commoditized in a marketing context in the form of playful epithets emplaced on locally designed products, demonstrating how the urban dialect is not merely a niche medium of communication on social media, but has become integral to commercial, profit-driven practices. The Element concludes by challenging the proposition that Kongish must be considered a 'variety' of English, arguing instead that it is an innominate term embodying translanguaging-in-action.