BILINGUAL IDENTITY AND CODE-SWITCHING AMONG ALBANIAN MIGRANTS IN GERMAN-SPEAKING COUNTRIES
BILINGUAL IDENTITY AND CODE-SWITCHING AMONG ALBANIAN MIGRANTS IN GERMAN-SPEAKING COUNTRIES

Summary/Abstract: Migration creates complex linguistic and cultural environments in which individuals negotiate their identities through the use of multiple languages. Albanian migrants living in Germany, Austria and Switzerland represent an important example of bilingual communities where the Albanian language interacts continuously with German. This article investigates the relationship between bilingual identity and code-switching among Albanian-speaking migrants in German-speaking countries. The study explores the use of Albanian and German by migrants in different social contexts, and the relationship between language choice and identity, belonging and integration. Special attention is paid to the differences between first-generation migrants and younger generations who acquired German through schooling and socialisation. The article relies on sociolinguistic theories of bilingualism, language contact, and identity construction to claim that code-switching is not only a manifestation of poor language proficiency but a crucial communicative strategy that communicates social relationships, cultural affiliation, and situational adaptation. The results indicate that Albanian migrants construct fluid bilingual identities, with Albanian as a language of cultural heritage and emotional belonging and German as a language of education, professional success and social participation.

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