Code Switching and Code Mixing of the Indonesian Host

in a TV Talk Show Program

Iwan Sutanto
Lampung University, Jl Sumantri Brojonegoro Bandar Lampung
Email: iwansutanto69@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
Code-switching and code-mixing have become an interesting phenomenon
to study in particular of language usage in society. Nowadays many people
communicate by mixing two languages, Indonesian Language and English. In
television, one of the famous Indonesian talk show hosts always mixes his
language in delivering the program. So, the purpose of this study is to get some
information to identify the types of code mixing and code switching frequently
used by one of the hosts of the Indonesian tv talk show program. The study was a
single case study. The qualitative methods was used to analyze the code mixing
and code switching with different frequency. Based on the analysis, the Type of
code-switching that was used more frequently by the subject was intrasentential,
while the type of code-mixing used were insertion and alternation. Both insertion
and alternation type were used in a balance way.

Keywords: code-mixing, code-switching, single case study, Indonesian host

INTRODUCTION
Code-switching and code-mixing have become an interesting phenomenon
to study in particular of language usage in society because it is part of
development process and use multiple languages (bilingual) or a mixture of
(multi-lingual). In general, code switching and code-mixing occur in the
community for two reasons: first, the speakers can merely communicate with the
target language, and second, the diverse communication objectives (Gysels, 1992;
cited in Duran, 1994). The reasons cannot be separated from the influence of
linguistic diversity in a community of people who eventually intermingled to form
a mixture that can be understood by the community in other words that the people
who have the language A and entered by other people who have the language B so
that both communities are mixed in a single community. So, naturally the
language will have to pass the language development including a double and a
mixture to form code-switching and code-mixing.
Then, the two concepts according to Bokamba (1989) in Ayeomoni (2006, p.
91) stated that code-switching is the mixing of words, phrases and sentence from
two distinct grammatical (sub) systems across sentence boundaries within the
same speech event. Code-mixing is the embedding of various linguistic units such
as affixes (bound morphemes), words (unbound morphemes), phrases and clauses
from a co-operative activity where the Participants, in order to infer what is
intended, must reconcile what they hear with what they understand.
Based on previous statement, it is obvious that code-switching and code-
mixing are part of sociolinguistics. Sociolinguistics is the study learning about

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human and society. According to Trudgill (1974), sociolinguistic is part of
linguistics which is concerned with language as a social and cultural phenomenon.
It investigates the field of language and society that have close connections with
the social sciences, especially social psychology, anthropology, human geography
and sociology.
Sociolinguistics examines the interplay of language and society, with
language as the starting point. Variation is the key concept, applied to language
itself and to its use. The basic premise of sociolinguistics is that language is
variable and changing. As a result, language is not homogeneous – not for the
individual user and not within or among groups of speakers who use the same
language.
The sociolinguists or people studying a language must be familiar with a
code. A code is a symbol of nationalism that is used by people to speak or
communicate in a particular language – a dialect, a register, an accent or a style on
different occasions and for different purposes. A code is divided into code-mixing
and code-switching (Stockwell, 2002). Code-mixing occurs when people mix two
languages between mother tongue and English. Nababan (1993) said that code-
mixing is found mainly in informal interactions. There are some reasons why
people make code-mixing. Firstly, in code-mixing, bilingual speakers seem to
apply some words or phrases from foreign language (pieces of one language
smaller than clause), while the other language (code) functions as the base
language. Secondly, bilingual speakers mix codes when there is no topic that
changes, nor does the situation (Gumperz, 1982).
One of the perennial questions in bilingual research is why bilingual
speakers switch from one language to another in conversational interaction. With
few exception, sociolinguists who had studied code switching before the 1980s
directed our attention to extra-linguistic factors such as topic, setting, relationship
between participants, community norms and values, and societal, political and
ideological developments. All of them were thought to influence speaker’s choice
of language in conversation.
Haugen (1953) stated that when the speaker of one language can produce
complete meaningful utterances in the other language, it is a kind of bilingualism.
However, Diebold (1964) said that a person may have no productive control over
a language but be able to understand utterances in it. In such instances, linguist
generally speak of “passive” or “receptive” bilingualism.
The use of code-switching and code-mixing frequently occur in
conversations of bilingual speakers and they may arise at the same time but they
are often used in a different context. The term code-switching is used
interchangeably with code-mixing, with both terms referring to both types of
language mixing. Recently, a few researchers have made finer distinctions
between using code-mixing and code-switching that is to distinguish the use of
two or more languages at the discourse level from switches within clauses/words
(Mahootian, 2006).
The practice of alternately using two languages is called as code-switching.
Code-switching is a linguistic phenomenon commonly occurring in bi- and
multilingual speech communities (Mahootian, 2006). People who switch the
language should have purposes, such as to quote someone, qualify message,
amplify or emphasize, convey confidentiality, anger and annoyance, mark and

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emphasize group identity (solidarity), exclude someone from conversation,
change role of speaker, rise status, add authority, show expertise and continue the
last language used. (Grosjean, 1982). While code-mixing is the change of one
language to another within the same utterance or in the same oral or written text
(Nababan, 1993). The use of code-mixing reflects the idea that the alternation of
the languages is not yet constrained (Azuma, 1998).
Muysken (2000) also described that code-mixing is typically divided into
three main types – insertion (word or phrase), alternation (clause) and congruent
lexicalization (dialect) – and the most common occurrence of code-mixing
variants in society is insertional code-mixing. What the writer means about
insertion is insertion of material (lexical items or entire constituents) from one
language into a structure of the other language. Alternation means the alternation
between structures from languages. The last is congruent lexicalization of material
from different lexical inventories into a shared grammatical structure: (1)
Insertion: Insertion is the process of code-mixing which is conceived as
something akin to borrowing: the insertion of an alien lexical or phrasal category
into a given structure. (2) Alternation: It occurs between clauses meaning that
alternation is used when speaker mixes his or her language with a phrase. (3)
Congruent lexicalization is the influence of dialect within language use.
Meanwhile, code-switching is a phenomenon when there are two or more
languages exist in a community and it makes speakers frequently switch from one
language to another language (Hornberger & McKay, 2010). According to
Poplack (1980), there are three types of code-switching: (1) Intrasentential code
switching; (2) Intersentential code switching; and (3) Extrasentential/tag
switching.
Tag-switching refers to insertion of tags such as “you know” and “I mean”
in sentences that are completely in the other language. According to Romaine
(1995), tags are “subject to minimal syntactic restrictions”, therefore the insertion
into a monolingual utterance does not violate syntactic rules. This implies that
inter-sentential and intrasentential switching reflects higher language proficiency,
unlike in the case of tag switching. This pattern was common occurrence with
both subjects from the study. They would tag-switch in both languages, most
commonly in English with the tag “you know” when explaining events. Inter-
sentential switching “involves switches form one language to other between
sentences: a whole sentence (or more than one sentence) is produced entirely in
one language before there is a switch to the other languages” (Myers-Scotton
1993:3). On the other hand, Intra-sentential switching occurs “within the same
sentence or sentence fragment” (Myers-Scotton 1993:4). This type of switching
will be considered most frequently for the analysis of the language behavior in the
study due to the consideration of morpho-syntactic patterns.
Code switching, as a widely used communicative skill, has become a focus
in the study of many literature works, songs, advertisements and movies. A lot of
researchers and scholars have done study on code switching, and they have shown
great achievements to us. Many scholars study code switching in literature works.
Wang Zhijiang [12] studies how James Joyce uses code switching to create stream
of consciousness in Ulysses. In his article, he applies quantitative analysis
methods to study Ulysses. He points out that code switching in Ulysses is mainly

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reflected in two aspects: mind activity and conversation of characters. The results
of his study are that using code switching provides a better method to reveal the
inner world of characters and makes it more believable.
Also, a lot of scholars pay their attention to code switching in songs. Li
Manliang [11] discusses code switching mainly in lyrics based on Chinese
characters. In his thesis, Li Manliang [11] analyzes the features of code switching
in lyrics. According to Myer-Scotton’s [10] Matrix Language Frame Model,
Chinese is a matrix language and English is an embedded language in lyrics,
which reflected in that thesis. In addition, it is found that code switching is usually
used in popular music, especially when the theme is love. If we utilize it
appropriately in lyrics, both singers and the audience could enjoy a feast.
Lately, in the world of entertainment in Indonesia, many celebrities
communicate using bilingualism. One of the celebrities who uses bilingualism is
Dedi Corbuzier. Dedi Corbuzier is a productive entertainer. His latter works that
attract the attention of the public are the videos he uploaded on youtube,
instagram, and other social media. In his video, he often uses code-switching and
code-mixing. Dedy produces so many interesting videos so that they were
watched by the public a lot. And one of the interesting things in his videos is that
he uses bilingualism quite a lot that yet becomes a trend among teenagers.
Therefore, the researcher wanted to raise the phenomenon of using code-switching
and code-mixing by the famous indonesian host, Dedi Corbuzier.
The aim of the research was to find out what kind of code switching and
code mixing are used by the host of the Indonesian TV talk show program. This
research is also expected to provide information needed by everyone studying
code-mixing and code-switching so they would get more understanding about
types of code-mixing and code-switching.

METHODS
This study used qualitative methods with a single case study. The researcher
used single case study because there was only one subject in the research, the Host
of Hitam Putih Program in Trans7. The researcher used single case study also
because the researcher thought that the subject was special. As a host, he uses
bilingualism in his television program, he is popular and productive in producing
his works, and his works were watched by millions of Indonesian people.
Kirk and Miller (1986, p.9) defines that qualitative research is a particular
tradition in social science that fundamentally depends on the observations in
humans in its own region and in touch with these people in a language and in its
idiom. The technique that was used in this qualitative research was non-interactive
by observing a video of the host’s presentation (content analysis). This is
according to Goetz and LeCompte in Sutopo (2006, p. 66) argued that the data
collection strategies in qualitative research in general could be divided into two
kinds of ways, which is interactive and non-interactive.
There were several steps in analyzing the data. First, the presentation of the
host was recorded and transcribed. Second, the types of code-mixing and code-

4
switching that mostly occured in the conversations were classified. Third, all of
the sentence or utterance using switching or mixing both in Bahasa Indonesia and
English were described. Fourth, each of the sentences were put into a table and the
types of code-mixing and code-switching were classified and analyzed referring to
Muysken (2000) and Poplack (1980) and counted them by using the theory of
Butler (1985). Finally, the result of the classification was transfered into numerical
data that was analyzed using mathematically based method.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Based on the analysis of the type of code switching and code mixing used
by the host, here the host mixed the language 26 times and switched it 26 times.
Intrasentential was the type of code-switching mostly used. Meanwhile the type of
code-mixing between insertion and alternation were used in a balance way.
Bellow is the classification of code switching and code mixing :
Table 1. Code-Mixing and Code Switching Classification

No Utterences Code Switching Code Mixing

1 Itu adalah fenomena stereotyping. Intrasentential Insertion
2 Ya tapi banyak orang yang mencoba untuk diet Intrasentential Alternation
mencoba untuk berusaha untuk membentuk
badan menjadi bagus tapi mereka gagal mereka
gagal dan mereka susah kok gak kurus-kurus
ya? makan obat sudah banyak and they don’t
know how they do it because they’re doing it
wrong and now we’re gonna do it right, because
now, now you know.
3 So, yang pertama adalah dengarkan saya baik- Intrasentential Insertion
baik.
4 Berapa banyak dari anda yang stop tidak turun Intrasentential Insertion
berat badanya atau turun lalu naik lagi?
5 Berapa banyak dari anda yang melihat artis, Intrasentential Insertion
selebriti , public figure yang mengiklankan obat
diet, pengurus, pelangsing, banyak?
6 No right? tidak. Intersentential Insertion
7 Dude? Really? Ya kan? Intersentential Insertion
8 No tidak ada mereka melakukan itu saya kurus Intrasentential Insertion
karena saya pakai ini dan arena saya dibayar
pastinya.
9 Kalau ada public figure selebriti yang anda tau Intrasentential Alternation
dari dulu sudah kurus saya kurus pakai ini
iklanya sudah gak ada, ada obat iklan lain, saya
kurus pakai ini, lah yang kemarin kemana?
Okay, so if you see this dan selebriti
mempromosikan itu jangan terlalu percaya.
10 Come on lah cari uang halal lah kadang-kadang, Intrasentential Insertion
lebih enak kan
11 No, rotinya Intrasentential Insertion
12 Jadi intinya kurangi gula. as simple as that. Intersentential Alternation
13 Anda minum lagi gula anda makan lagi, it’s Intrasentential Alternation

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 never ending story, you’re gonna get fat, you
will, yes you, the one that watch me, you, you
will get fat
14 Yang keempat kita sebut adalah diet product Intrasentential Insertion
15 Let me tell you. yang ditaruh disana adalah Intersentential Alternation
kimia yang disebut dengan aspartame
16 Mereka akan makan makan makan makan tanpa Intrasentential Alternation
henti, circle, you never stop and you will get fat.
17 Now, yang kelima, fat atau lemak Intrasentential Insertion
18 No no no no… kita tidak menjadi berlemak Intrasentential Insertion
karena kita makan lemak
19 Yang membuat anda gemuk adalah gula, sugar Intrasentential Insertion
20 Saya makan lemak banyak banget, banyak Intrasentential Alternation
banget and I love it
21 Dan yang keenam, saya sebenarnya masih Intersentential Alternation
banyak, nanti kita akan sambung sesinya kalau
masih ada waktu, tapi this is important
22 Yang keenam adalah what is diet? Intrasentential Alternation
23 Diet is eating, diet artinya makan, bukan nahan Intrasentential Alternation
makan.
24 Karena anda menahan makan, come on, Intrasentential Alternation
everybody can do that, everybody can have a
good body
25 Umur saya 40 tahun saya berusaha sedemikian Intrasentential Alternation
rupa mungkin and yes everybody can do that
26 Okay, so what is diet? Kalau saya bisa, umur Intersentential Alternation
saya 40 tahun lebih, anda harus bisa. Anda harus
bisa, and now, now you know.

The following calculation (see Figure 2 and Figure 3) showed how much
alternation and insertion in code-mixing, and intersentential and intrasentential in
code-switching was used:
Code switching:
Intersentential : 6

 = = 23,07%

Intrasentential : 20

 = = 76,93%

Extrasentential : 0
 0%

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 Figure 1. Code Switching Chart

Code mixing:
Insertion :

 = = 50%

Alternation :

 = = 50%

Congruent : 0
 0%

Figure 2. Code Mixing Chart

CONCLUSION
Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the type of code-
switching that was used more frequently by the research subject in this episode
was intrasentential, and the type of code-mixing that was used more frequently
was insertion and alternation. While the code-mixing type that was not used was
congruent lexicalization. Then, the type of code-switching that was not used was
extrasentential

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