Functions of Code-switching in Young Moroccans’ Facebook Comments

Khawla Khoumssi

Abstract


This study investigates, through a qualitative approach, code-switching practices of young Moroccans in their Facebook interactions. The purpose behind this research is to analyse the functions of code-switching in Facebook comments, that were extracted from 30 Facebook accounts, and find out whether the choice of switching between languages is a conscious act that serves certain communicative functions, or it is a random choice made by young Moroccan Facebook users to compensate for a linguistic incompetence. Functions were coded and analysed using a grounded theory. Results achieved through the analysis of code-switching functions that occurred in the participants’ Facebook comments revealed that code-switching appeared, mainly, to serve notions of quotation, addressee specification, availability, principle of economy, indicating emotions, clarification, emphasis, habitual expressions, creativity and euphemism. Therefore, code-switching in young Moroccans’ Facebook comments is considered as a communication strategy that aims at enhancing their interactions in Facebook and making them more fluid and vibrant.

Keywords


Code-switching, Facebook, young Moroccans, linguistic incompetence, communication strategy.

Full Text:

PDF

References


• Al Shlowiy, A. 2014. Texting abbreviations and language learning. International Journal of Arts & Sciences. 07(03): 455-468. Available from http://www.academia.edu/10301685/Texting_abbreviations_and_language_learning. Accessed 14/03/2017

• AL-Khatib, M. A. & Enaq H. S. 2008. Journal of Linguistics. 21 : 37-65. Available from http://www.linguistics.fi/julkaisut/SKY2008/AlKhatib%20et%20al%20NETTIVERSIO.pdf. Accessed 08/09/2016.

• Androutsopoulos. J. 2013 Code switching in computer-mediated communication. In C. S. Herring. D. Stein, and T. Virtanen (eds), Handbook of the pragmatics of computer-mediated communication. Berlin: Moutain de Gruyter.

• Auer, P. (1984). Bilingual Conversation. Amesterdam/ Philadelphia: John Benjamins.

• Bassiouney, R. (2009). Arabic Sociolinguistics. Edinburgh: Edinburgh university press.

• Basudha, D. (2012). CS as communication strategy in conversation. Global Media Journal. 3 (2). Available on http://www.academia.edu/3572508/CS_AS_A_COMMUNICATIVE_STRATEGY_IN_CONVERSATION: 12- 16

• Bentahila A. & E.E. Davies. (1995). Patterns of code-switching and patterns of language contact. Lingua - 96 (2-3) : 75-93. doi.org/10.1016/0024-3841(94)00035-K.

• Bentahila, A. (1983). Language Attitudes among Arabic-French Bilinguals in Morocco. Clevedon.

• Gardner- Chloros, P. (2009). Code Switching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

• Gumperz, J. (1982). Discourse Strategies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

• Huffaker, A. D & S. L, Calvert. (2005). Gender, identity, and language use in teenage blogs. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 10(2). Available from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220437943_Gender_Identity_and_Language_Use_in_Teenage_Blogs. Accessed 02/03/2016.

• Khan-Khadim, S.N. (2014). Code switching in Facebook by Bangladeshi Facebook users. (Master Dissertation). Available from http://dspace.bracu.ac.bd/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10361/4235/MA%20thesis%20eng%20%28fall%202014%29.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y. Accessed 23/03/2017.

• Mahdad Kaid Slimane, H. (2014). Bilingualism and biculturalism: exploring youth language, culture and identity in today’s Algeria. International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Literature 2 (2): 11-18.

• Malik, L. (1994). Socio-linguistics: A Study of Code-Switching. New Delhi, ND: Anmol Publications.

• Milroy, L & P, Muysken. (Eds). (1995). One Speaker, Two Languages: Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives on Code-Switching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

• Montes-Alcalá, C. (2007). Blogging in two languages: code-switching in bilingual blogs. Selected Proceedings of the Third Workshop on Spanish SociolinguisticsIn Jonathan Holmquist et al. (ed): 162-170. Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Proceedings Project. Available from http://www.lingref.com/cpp/wss/3/paper1537.pdf Accessed 13/11/2016.

• Myers-Scotton, C. (1998). A way to dusty death: The Matrix Language turnover hypo- thesis. In L. A. Grenoble & L. J. Whaley (Eds), Endangered languages: Language loss and community response. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139166959.013.

o __________. (1993). Social Motivations for Codeswitching: Evidence from Africa. 1st Edition. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

• Myers-Scotton, C. & Ury, W. (1977). Bilingual Strategies: The Social Functions of Codeswitching. Journal of the Sociology of Language. 15 (193): 5-20. doi.org/10.1515/ling.1977.15.193.5.

• N. S. Halim, & Maros, M. (2014). The functions of CS in Facebook interactions. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 118: 126-133 Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273850755_The_Functions_of_CS_in_Facebook_Interactions [accessed Mar 15 2018].

• Salia, R. (2011). Between Arabic and French lies the dialect: Moroccan code-weaving on Facebook. (B.A Thesis). https://doi.org/10.7916/D84M9BJ6. Available from https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:135548 Accessed 25/03/2016.

• San, H. K. (2009). Chinese English code-switching in blogs by Macao young people (Master Dissertation. Available from https://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/1842/3626/Dissertation.pdf;sequence=1 Accessed 14/ 03/ 2018.

• Schmid, S. (2005). Code-switching and Italian abroad. Reflections on language contact and bilingual mixture. Italian Journal of Linguistics, 17 (1) : 133-155. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228353823_Code-switching_and_Italian_abroad_Reflections_on_language_contact_and_bilingual_mixture Accessed 15/02/ 2018.

• Smieja, B. (1999). Codeswitching and Language Shift in Botswana: Indicators for Language Change and Language Death?Duisburg: LAUD (Linguistic Agency of the University of Duisburg). P: 9. Available on https://www.google.co.ma/search?ei=QtXxWsfKNIHsUMjCpLAD&q=Codeswitching+and+Language+Shift+in+Botswana%3A+Indicators+for+Language+Change+and+Language+Death. Accessed 05/02/ 2018.

• Weinreich, U. (1979). Languages in Contact: Findings and Problems. New York: The hague.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21462/jeltl.v5i1.382

Refbacks





JELTL (Journal of English Language Teaching and Linguistics); Web: www.jeltl.org; Email:journal.eltl@gmail.com

Creative Commons License
JELTL by http://www.jeltl.org is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License


Indexed and Abstracted BY: