What is Code-Switching?
Code-switching in linguistics refers to the alternating between two or more dialects or languages during a conversation. This may happen for a number of reasons depending on socioeconomic class, education, etc.. A detailed analysis of code-switching can be seen below.
(Delibasoglu, 2017)
UAE Code-Switching
The Emirati youth have been known for a major shift in vernacular that has strayed away from Emirati roots. A primary identifier in this issue is the code-switching used amongst the young people. This code-switching between English and Arabic is a common way of communication in the UAE for many people. The amount of code-switching depends on a variety of things including proficiency in the two languages, role relationships, and the formality of the situation (Ali, 2010, p.63). The UAE has a very diverse population, so it can be assumed that the code switching occurring happens between speakers of other languages including Urdu, Kurdish, Farsi etc. as well.
Naghamana Ali talks about code switching occurring in text messages in s book titled Exploring One's Identity in Second Language Education Courses. In this book, he talks about how university students in the UAE are seen text messaging each other in a "lingo" that is a mix of both Arabic and English (Ali, 2010, p.64). For the sounds that are not found in English, numerals are inserted. The example he provides is "Omar" with the glottal [O] sound being written as "3mar" (Ali,2010, p.64). Some phonemes are not represented in Arabic when they are translated into English. Text messaging is a common form of communication around the world in today's society. Code switching has proven to be a controversial topic in the UAE and there has been debate as to whether the English language and its media is the cause.
Naghamana Ali talks about code switching occurring in text messages in s book titled Exploring One's Identity in Second Language Education Courses. In this book, he talks about how university students in the UAE are seen text messaging each other in a "lingo" that is a mix of both Arabic and English (Ali, 2010, p.64). For the sounds that are not found in English, numerals are inserted. The example he provides is "Omar" with the glottal [O] sound being written as "3mar" (Ali,2010, p.64). Some phonemes are not represented in Arabic when they are translated into English. Text messaging is a common form of communication around the world in today's society. Code switching has proven to be a controversial topic in the UAE and there has been debate as to whether the English language and its media is the cause.
Numerals Used in Code Switching
As stated above, UAE university students have been found sending text messages using the numerical letters assigned to phonemes not represented in an English translation from Arabic. The tables to the right is from "'a Funky Language for Teenzz to Use:' Representing Gulf Arabic in Instant Messaging" by David Palfreyman and Muhamed al Khalil. These tables show the phoneme known in English, the Arabic letter, the ASCII representation (American Standard Code for Information Interchange, and an example along with an English translation. These tables show examples of some of the numerals used in Arabic/ English code switching in texting.
|
(Palfreyman and al Khalil, 2003).
|