The Functions of Code-switching in Facebook Interactions

Abstract

Studies on code-switching over the past two decades have a propensity to focus on its spoken context, few on its written production. This study contributes to the under-studied area by investigating the occurrences of code-switching in electronic writing. The goal of this study is to examine the code-switching functions performed by five Malay-English bilingual users in their Facebook interactions. The data of this study were collected within one year from status updates posted by the bilingua l users on their Facebook wall. They were then coded, analysed and categorised according to the functions they served in the Facebook context. The classification of the code-switching functions was based on Gumperz's (1982) conversational code- switching and supplemented by Zentella (1997), San (2009) and Montes-Alcalá’s (2007). Findings indicate that code- switching occurs in online interaction to serve quotation, addressee specification, reiteration, message qualification, clarification, emphasis, checking, indicating emotions, availability, principle of economy and free switching functions. This study hopes to provide insights on the code-switching phenomenon in asynchronous Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC). Additionally, the findings of this study will be of value for the development of code-switching studies in the CMC area.