The controversial code-switching of an Indonesian president

Abstract

During his term of presidency (2004–2014), Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) was heavily criticised for excessive use of English when making formal speeches in Indonesian, a linguistic phenomenon of mixing languages known as code-switching. Such criticisms reflect an ambivalence towards English that is influenced by nationalistic sentiment. By analysing a range of presidential speeches, we reveal that SBY’s code-switching was highly variable but not random, and depended largely on particular audiences, topics and domains. Despite certain instances where SBY avoided English code-switching, which suggests nationalistic self-positioning, findings show SBY frequently engaged in code-switching as part of his communicative repertoire. We argue that SBY used code-switching as part of his pragmatic competence to strategically enhance his credibility and authority. This demonstrates how English code-switching can be used strategically to enhance a leader’s political discourse in an Indonesian context.