Barb Haertl
     This study examines whether there is a pattern of gender assignment during code-switching for English (L2) nouns adopted into a mostly German (L1) discourse. While inanimate English nouns lack grammatical gender, German nouns can be masculine, feminine, or neuter. The purpose of this analysis is not to examine typical loanwords, but rather to seek a pattern of gender assignment for spontaneously uttered L2 nouns in L1 discourse. For example, if in an environment prone to code-switching one says, “Kannst du ___ candle anzünden?” [Can you light the candle?], what determines the gender of the English noun?
     The main hypothesis is that English words will be assigned the gender of their German equivalent. Aron (1930), Reed (1942), and Sachs (1953) conducted relevant studies in German immigrants and German-speaking Americans. While Aron and Reed detected that L2 gender is primarily determined by its L1 equivalent, Sachs found that the gender of loanwords is not fixed. This study shifts the focus from second-generation to native speakers with strong English proficiency. 
     Conversations of native Germans code-switching were recorded. Forty-five English nouns used in the verbal discourse, along with five Anglicisms as control words, were put into a written questionnaire containing 50 German sentences. In each sentence, the article before the English noun was left blank, and the respondent was instructed to quickly insert the article he or she felt was most appropriate. The questionnaire was distributed in person and via the Internet. Of 129 total respondents, 112 qualified for the study as native German speakers with a minimum level of proficiency in English.
     Gender assignment corresponded overwhelmingly to the main hypothesis and prior results of Aron (1930) and Reed (1942): English words are more likely to acquire the gender of their German equivalent than the other genders. Interest in this study could be broadened by testing the hypotheses against other languages with grammatical gender.

References

     Aron, Albert W. 1930. The gender of English loan-words in colloquial American German. Language, 6.4:11–28.
     Reed, Carroll E. 1942. The gender of English loan words in Pennsylvania German. American Speech, 17.1:25–29.
     Sachs, Emmy. 1953. The gender of English loan words in the German of recent immigrants. American Speech, 28.4:256–270.