Code-Switching in Social Media by Saudi Females - Research Paper Example

CODE SWITCHING IN SOCIAL MEDIA BY SAUDI FEMALES METHODOLOGY Introduction Purpose of the study There are several reasons as to why Saudi female students code-switch, the main being that that these students feel that English language is easier than Arabic. These students CS both in formal conversation and also in informal conversation like in social networks. The main reason as to why bilinguals switch code in social networks is that they do it to compensate for prestige and status among their counterparts. The dispute comes in that these bi-linguals switch code because they feel that the English language is easier or because they lack specific Arabic words to represent what they want to say. Most of Arabic-English bilinguals point out their lack of formal knowledge (Grosjean, 1982; p. 61). However there are several weak points in these allegations and further research is needed to settle this down. This research we will be trying to answer the question: What are the socio-cultural factors behind CM and CS used among female Arab speakers of different/same varieties? To what extent do CM and CS in Arabic abide by the so-called universal constraints on CM and CS? Here we will be trying to answer the question: Why do female University Saudi students code-switch between English and Arabic when they could just use Arabic in their interactions? (Roxana, 2010; p. 10). There possibly will be a number of problems that might be faced when conducting the research. One of the troubles is the speech complexity. There could be a language barrier when interviewing people who are not talented in English as their subsequent tongue. Another problem could be fear of being interviewed. I will be forced to first create a friendly atmosphere before introducing the topic. Some feel intimidated when asked why they code-switch since they perceive that code-switching is associated with weaknesses in understanding English. Finally, the other challenge will be time. Filling in of questionnaire is time-consuming and also requires patience when dealing with different people. Participants in the study The participants of this study were 25 Saudi female students chosen randomly who are living in Brisbane. Their ages ranged from 18 to 35. Most of them are completing their study or just with their husbands. Arabic is their first language (L1) and English is their second language (L2). Some are professional in both languages while others know a little less English. Seven of the subjects came from a 21-23 age groups (figure 1). An equivalent figure of subject-matters had ages of 18-20 and 30-32 respectively. The age group 24-26 had six subjects while age group 27-29 had four subjects. The last age group 33-35 had two subjects. Figure 1: Age group of participants For all the participants, their national language (Arabic) was their first language (L1), and English was their target or second language (L2). Whereas the subjects’ aptitude in their indigenous language was presumed to be of a advanced level, the initial question in section two of the opinion poll was projected to evaluate their expertise level of target speech. Scholars who took part in this research had been registered in English lessons where they were educated and applied the target language in a classroom background. The subjects used both L1 and L2 during the classes as well as outside the classroom. It was noted that students from time to time changed from one tongue to another at some stage in the broad medium of training or during interaction in social media (Elsaadany, 2009; p. 10). Definition of basic terms In today’s socio-linguistics studies, there are troubles of defining the basic terminology because researchers use diverse terms to refer to the same phenomenon. The definition of Code Mixing (CM) and Code Switching (CS) is not exceptional. In this research, I am going to adopt Kachru’s (1983; p. 56)definition of CM as the ‘intrasentential’ use of linguistic units from two or more tongues by a bilingual narrator in the same speech situation. In code-mixed speech, the code-mixer may utilize morphemes, words, phrases, clauses, or even sentences of the matrix language (ML). On the other hand, CS is intersentential (Kachru, 1983 p. 24). In a code-switched speech, the sentence units are drawn from one or the other languages used by the code switcher. Mayers Scotton (1997; 1993; 1990) uses code-switching as a cover term for both CS and Cm. Mayers-Sotton (1990; p.85) describes code-switching as “the use of two or more linguistic varieties in the same conversation. It could be intrasentential or extrasentential as well as intra-word”. She as well refers to the dominating variety utilized in communication as the ‘matrix language’ (ML) and the other variety as the ‘embedded language’ (EL). I am going rreffer to both Kachru’s amd Meyers-Scotton definition but I will regards CM and CS as twp separate, but related processes. Instead of a quantitative psychoanalysis, owing to the small figure of accomplices, the illustrations of codeswitching will be examined qualitatively as to their purposes within bilingual discussion. Nevertheless, some common observations can be made concerning the variations in frequency of codeswitching in the midst of the participants. The particulars obtained from these linguistic studies will be put into the scrutinies to establish how these can support and give details on the types and rate of recurrence of codeswitching used (Campbell, 2004; p. 24). Qualitative research method In this research, I am going to use the qualitative method of research. This is a method of research that emphasizes the quality of meaning in participants’ perceptions and attitudes, such as in-depth interviews as well as focus groups. I am going to study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or to interpret, phenomena (code-switching) in terms of the meanings the participants bring to them. Qualitative research is anticipated to go through to the deeper importance that the subject of the research assigns to the issue being investigated. It entails an interpretive, naturalistic strategy to its subject matter and offers precedence to what the data give to significant research subjects or obtainable information. I used qualitative research method so that I can gather an in-depth understanding of human behavior as well as the reasons that control such behavior. The qualitative research method examines the why and how of decision making, and not what, where or when. This is the reason my research question is: Why do female University Saudi students code-switch between English and Arabic when they could just use Arabic in their interactions? This makes it possible to work or focus on a smaller sample rather than large samples. Qualitative research methods generate information only on the specific cases studied, and any additional general conclusions are only propositions. Data and methodology Information was gathered by filling-in of questionnaires. Participant were not informed that their codeswitching bahavior was the subject of observation by the rersearcher. I approached them then asked them the questions before they see the questionnaire so that they could think about the reasons they CS rather than seeing the options in the questionnaire and choose straight away without thinking. I also explained to them what they did not understand and write some notes or jolt down their answers and comments so I can use then in the data analysis as quotation and give example about the participants. The questionnaire used was an open ended questionnaire to offer the respondents chance to think about the answers they gave. Due to the small number of the participants, the open-ended questions will help for collection and analysis in a qualitative manner. The main idea and focus was to make the converstaion natural and spontaneous and to ensure that they were not affected by the speakers perception that their speech was being used for research, the notions which may make these participants alert and conscious to what they are saying (Bista, 2010; p. 7). Qualitative research methiod was used where, few respondents were nterviewed but the information gathered had much weight in drawing conclusions. The first section of the questionnnaire is the participants details: the name of the participant and the number of languages that he or she can speak, for analyzing the number of languages between which code-swtching occurs; the level of education and age for assisting in analysis of data; and the duration for which the participant has lived in Australia. This will help assess the reason why the participant code-switches. The second section have been subdivided into two sections: Part A and Part B. Part A has four questions. The first question is ‘how frequent the English language is spoken’. This was to make me understand whether code-switching was as a result of language deficiency. The second question was, ‘How often do you code-switch in a conversation?’ this was to develop the frequeny of code switching. The third question was, ‘With whom do you code-switch?’ it was found that most of the participants code-switched with their friends, classmates, parents and relatives. The last question was, ‘When is code-switching mostly used?’ most of the responses indiacted that code-switching occurred when the participants are chatting with friends on facebook, twitter, mms texting, face-to-face and on other public and private conversation settings. Part B of section two was for the participants to state the reasons for code swtiching. We will mainly concentrate on this question as it is our reseach question. We want to understand why Saudi females code-switching as a case study for investigating the reason why women code-switchmore than men (Reyes, 2004; p. 4). The reason for using questionnaire was because one could include all the alternative queries inquiring for wide-ranging to detailed information. I used questionnaire because I had a personal experience of qusetionnaire as an international graduate student, from classroom teaching experience and from interviewing international students in the university. Apart from personal interviews with participants, the use of questionnaires was recognized to be a successful tool for data gathering and analysis. The key motivation for making use of survey (questionnaire) was to put into consideration the entire setting of experimental condition as it was. Handwritten notes for the answers given also gave more information and direct quotes for illustrations and examples of code-switch. The other methods were not used as they could not give clear information for qualitative analysis. All the data in this study have been gathered from natural and real life setting such as social activities, gatherings, discussions and many more. As I was undertaking the research, I also collcted some data from informal discussions like picnics and ethnic gatherings (Elsaadany, 2009; p. 5). The questions are open so that we can get more accurate answers rather than just circling the answers. This will make the respondents to first think and then give a more detailed and well thought answer instead of jumping on the choices offered. The rate of recurrence of code-switching came from those experimental occurrences of scholars in which they either pose queries with associates in classroom or share personal e-mail on social networks. These scholars also code-switched to distribute a connotation with an acquaintance. It was observed that students also converse with one another in their native tongue during class to share opinion of their relatives or friends even though such issues were not connected to their continuing lesson (Escamilla, 2007; p. 11). Their individual and confidential e-mail on face book and twiter appeared to consist of an utterance or few sentences writen in more than one language. Factors influencing code switching incorporated the students’ level of English language proficiency, their poise due to their outward show and cultural background and their language with an inflection, and the pressures and burden of the classroom circumstances. It was usual for those scholars to make use of their personal tongue in the English classes as well as in social networks conversations (Isurin, Winford & Bot, 2009; p. 12). References: Ayeomoni, M. (2006). “Code-switching and code-mixing: Style of language use in childhood in Yoruba speech community”. “Nordic Journal of African Studies”, 15 (1), 90-99. Bista K. (2010). “Factors of Code-switching among Bilingual English Students in the University Classroom”: A Survey. “Center for Excellence in Education Arkansas State University, Arkansas”. “English for Specific Purposes World”, Issue 29 Vol. 9. Retrieved April 18, 2011 from http://www.esp-world.info/Articles_29/Factors.pdf Campbell L., (2004). Historical linguistics: an introduction. Edinburgh University Press. Retrieved April 18, 2011 from http://books.google.com/books?id=vswGyb5sfRIC&pg=PA62&dq=what+is+linguistic+borrowing&hl=en&ei=1TacTdnWKsXa4waH8aGJBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=what%20is%20linguistic%20borrowing&f=false Elsaadany K. A. (2009). Code Alternation among Arab Speakers in America. Umm Al-Qura University Journal of Educational, Social Sciences & Humanities. Retrieved April 18, 2011 from http://uqu.edu.sa/majalat/humanities/2vol15/009.pdf Escamilla K. (2007). “The Role of Code-Switching in the Written Expression of Early Elementary Simultaneous Bilinguals”. American Educational Research Association. University of Colorado, Boulder. Retrieved April 18, 2011 from http://www.colorado.edu/education/faculty/kathyescamilla/Docs/AERACodeswitching.pdf Grosjean, F. (1982). Life with Two Languages. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Gumperz, J. (Ed.) (1982). Language and social identity. Cambridge: CUP. Heredia, R. & Altarriba J. (2001). “Bilingual Language Mixing: Why do Bilinguals Code-Switch”? Texas A&M International University, Laredo, NeW York. Retrieved April 18, 2011 from http://www.tamiu.edu/~rheredia/codeswitch.pdf Isurin L., Winford D. & Bot K. (2009). Multidisciplinary approaches to code-switching Amsterdam, John Benjamins Publishing Company. Retrieved April 18, 2011 from http://books.google.com/books?id=jbWXpCQoWWoC&pg=PT9&dq=what+is+Code+Switching+%28linguistics%29&hl=en&ei=lsGSTZysLYrXsgbAkaXQBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=what%20is%20Code%20Switching%20%28linguistics%29&f=false Kachru, B. B. (1978). "Toward Structuring Code-Mixing: An Indian Perspective", in Aspects of Sociolinguistics in South Asia, edited by B.B. Kachru & S. N. Sridhar, 27-58. Meyers-Scotton, C. (1993). Dueling Languages: Grammatical Structure in Code-switching. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Meyers-Scotton, C. (1990). "Code-switching and borrowing: Interpersonal and macro level meaning". In R. Jacobson (ed.) Code-switching as a Worldwide Phenomenon. New York: Peterlang, 85-110. Molinsky A. (2007). “Cross-Cultural Code-Switching: The Psychological Challenges of adapting Behavior in Foreign Cultural Interactions”. Brandeis University, Academy of Management Review Vol. 32, No. 2, 622–640. Retrieved April 18, 2011 from http://people.brandeis.edu/~molinsky/documents/Molinsky%20Cross-Cultural%20Code-Switching.pdf Nilep C. (2006). Code-switching” in Socio-cultural Linguistics. Colorado Research in Linguistics. June 2006. Vol. 19. Boulder: University of Colorado. Retrieved April 18, 2011 from http://www.colorado.edu/ling/CRIL/Volume19_Issue1/paper_NILEP.pdf Reyes, I. (2004). “Functions of code-switching in school children’s conversations”. Bilingual Research Journal, 28 (1), 77-96. Rezaeian F. (2009). Structural and social aspects of code-switching among Iranian/Canadian bilinguals. Simon Fraser University, Spring. Retrieved April 18, 2011 from http://ir.lib.sfu.ca/bitstream/1892/10791/1/etd4457.pdf Roxana S. (2010). “What is Code-Switching and Why Do Bilinguals Do it”? Retrieved April 18, 2011 from http://www.spanglishbaby.com/2010/06/what-is-code-switching-and-why-do-bilinguals-do-it/ Read More