From subculture to mainstream: The spread of English in Denmark

This article discusses the use of codeswitching to English in Denmark where it is a prominent feature of Danish youth language and particularly of the language style used in Anglo-American subcultures. The theory of English from below suggests that English is spread from the subcultures to become part of the language style of mainstream youth. The article explores how the particular subcultural language style, characterised by frequent codeswitching to English, is maintained and spread in the subculture and how it spreads beyond the subculture through global and local social networks. My analysis is based on observations and recordings from the computer gaming subculture as well as on a focus group interview with four gamers.