“You walawala too much!”: Chinglish interactions between Chinese and Ghanaian construction workers

Abstract

Based on fieldwork research conducted at three construction sites of a Chinese state-owned company in Ghana, this paper examines linguistic interactions between Chinese and local workers. Using an “invented” language called Chinglish, or Chinese English, the Chinese and Ghanaian employees are able to communicate and sometimes even create spaces for complicity. There is, however, an extremely precarious balance that exists within this context, and any misunderstanding can easily cause conflicts and exacerbate already tense work and power dynamics. Beyond arousing considerable interest from a linguistic point of view, the use of Chinese English in said interactions also sheds light on the daily relationships between Chinese and local workers on Chinese construction sites in Ghana.