Having only one hypothesis and trying to prove that it is true is not the best way to go about research, since the hypothesis can become a bias. A more fruitful course of action is to brainstorm a bit and come up with several hypotheses that could answer your research question, including even the ones that you don't think will turn out to be viable. Then you can try to refute each of these working hypotheses by confronting them systematically with all available evidence that may be relevant to your problem. The hypothesis (or hypotheses) that remain after this process can remain as the table as reasonable answers to your question. With this method nothing is really 'proven', as 'truth' is more of a guiding principle than a result of research. What you will have in the end are one or more refutable hypotheses that haven't been refuted, for the moment. This, as I see it, is the essence of scientific inquiry.

thank you so much for your insightful explanation. I would say that the hypothesis I suggested is a general one, let's consider it as a research problem. Actually I have many hypotheses and they all lead to the fact that code-switching among young Moroccans in their facebook interactions may somehow lead to Moroccan language attrition. Maybe I was unable to well form the question.What I would like to test is to what extent the use of code-switching in facebook may lead to language attrition? how can I measure if there is really language loss or not? I hope I was clear.

thank you so much for your insightful recommendations. I would say that the hypothesis I suggested is a general one, let's consider it as a research problem. Actually I have many hypotheses and they all lead to the fact that code-switching among young Moroccans in their facebook interactions may somehow lead to Moroccan language attrition. Maybe I was unable to well form the question.What I would like to test is to what extent the use of code-switching in facebook may lead to language attrition? how can I measure if there is really language loss or not? I hope I was clear.

Dear Khawla:

I have a better idea of what you are doing now. Perhaps you could consider the multiple working hypotheses as possible answers to the question "To what extent the use of code-switching in facebook may lead to language attrition?". Possible hypotheses, on a simplified level (I am sure you can formulate them better than I can), could be (1) to a large extent, (2) to a moderate extent, (3) to a small extent, and (4) not at all. This kind of self-critical thinking can help overcome any potential bias that could affect the objective evaluation of each hypothesis when confronting it with the evidence.

My only other suggestion would be that the size of the sample might be broadened, to lessen the possibility that the eight subjects may not represent general trends.

It looks like an interesting project and I wish you success with it.

Best regards,

David

Sharing link with exemple in this paper.

https://www.google.es/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://elib.sfu-kras.ru/bitstream/2311/10247/1/03_Nkechi.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwir9s2O_brZAhWGsxQKHTyOCvUQFjABegQICBAB&usg=AOvVaw1RVGZFlO8699xBpKQbXp9G

Regards!

Its a great project! Consider the sample size please. The eight respondents may not be a true representative sample of the general trend. Also, to really prove your assertion, try to add some field research, probably interviews of the young respondents and language instructors. They may offer greater enlightenment on the real situation.

Might I add that using facebook will result in a biased sample, as facebook users are a very paricular group and 1) very different than other groups /non-facebook users and the rest of the population and 2) not representtive of all young Moroccans.

Also, there is a heavy amount of research, over many years, on code-switiching among English/Spanish biligual speakers in US. Language loss may depend a lot on other factors, such as extent of bilingualism/how well individulas know the languages involved, what is the first language, what is the language they hear and use at home, school or work, with friends, family, etc.

Perhaps code switching is "popular" on facebook; perhaps it leads to such langalge loss for facebook users. Existing research that I refer to shows no such loss of either language among those who use code swithcing. One finding that i do remember (it's been some time) is that code swithcers are very comfortable within their dual cultures.

A new and modern research idea

Thank you so much for your insightful advice, I will take them into consideration. Again many thanks to you all.

Khawla, I would like to add that code-switiching is not necessarily a bad/negative issue, altough many do not like it for many other not-related (to language) reasons, On the contrary, it is the persons who are truly bilingual, who are proficient in both the relevant languages who engage in code switiching because they have the ability to do so. I think that code-switAlso, there is some research that showed code-switiching was tied to "ethnic identity" (of the users. )

Perhaps some users of 2 languages, who are new to the second language, will use their first-language when they do not know a particulare word in the second language--the one they are learning. This is different usage and is not really code-switching. Have you looked at any of the literature on retaining and/or loss of a naitve language by immigrants? There are several factors that influence both loss and retainment of native language.

I feel safe in saying that code-switiching, true code witching is a veritable sign of skilled bilingulaism and thus, shows an individual who has retained the native language, as well as acquired the new 2nd language.Therefore, I do not believe that code-switchng leads to language loss.

Last, full disclosure-- I AM A CODE SWITCHER; bilingual- bicultual and have worked in translation and interpretation.

David, in the very first response that you got, has said most of the things I would have liked to say. It remains for me to add that in the context of your type of design I would use the term, prove, more cautiously, if I use it at all. Generalisation? Yes but again I do not see enough in the narrative that you present to enable me advise in favour of that. How many people speak the language whose possible attrition you investigate? Ordinarily 8 seems too small a sample to base your prediction of attrition on. Facebook usage appears to be only a small example of all the domains of language use, even in this days of cybermania. Even if your data show that your sample codeswitch to a level that makes you suspect erosion of their individual vocabularies of their native language, still that may not be enough to permit a scientific prediction of language attrition. And ethnography? What is in the design of the research that qualifies it to be called an ethnography? It is not evident from your description. If you are interested in generalization of your the result of a study that is based on content-analysis of texts, it seems to me that you may profit from reading Sebastian M. Rasinger's Quantitative research in linguistics (London, Continuum International Publishing Group, 2008).

I am remembering and makes me smile at the memory. Many years ago, when I took my first research class, one of the first things my professor said (in response to a student who said "proof"), "you cannot "prove" anything in science. Proofs are for mathemtaics....." Then he went on to explain the whole scientific process--research, findings, knowledge, confirmations, new knowledge etc etc etc. and gave some poignant examples. I repeated his words many a time to my studenst if they wanted to "prove" something.