How social norms are co-constructed: Narrative practices of Canadian residents in English as a Lingua Franca

Abstract

he purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how two non-native English speakers residing in Canada jointly evaluate and judge appropriate language behavior in Canada when they create a certain norm through narrative. The data used are lingua franca spoken in English by residents of Canada. We asked them to talk about their current occupations or future careers in a semi-structured interview. The recordings were conducted online (Zoom) for a total of six people in the format of two-person pairs (both met for the first time). The languages that the participants recognized as their mother tongue are as follows (Participant A: Swedish; Participant B: Yoruba, Bekwara, Mbe; Participant C: Nepalese; Participant D: Persian; Participant E: Arabic, French, Participant F: Thai). This paper shows that the participants evaluate the narrative together, make adjustments, and come to an agreement based on a certain kind of norm that white Canadian native English speakers with a background in Western culture generally have. The paper also shows that the co-constructed discourse becomes a socially shareable, understandable and desirable narrative because it is based on norms and beliefs of white Canadian native English speakers.