Analysis of Code-Switching in Grammar: Basics of Sentence Constructions Class.
ABSTRACT
Dalam tugas akhir ini, saya menganalisis code-switching (alih kode) yang
dilakukan oleh dosen di dalam kelas Grammar. Dosen tersebut melakukan alih kode
pada saat menerangkan materi yang sedang diajarkan di dalam kelas. Alih kode yang
dilakukan dosen tersebut mempunyai beberapa tujuan tertentu dan berdampak pada
mahasiswa untuk dapat memahami materi yang diterangkan.
Sumber data yang saya ambil dalam tugas akhir ini adalah ujaran-ujaran dosen
pada saat sedang melakukan kegiatan belajar-mengajar. Setelah melakukan observasi,
saya kemudian melakukan analisis dengan menggunakan teori tentang fungsi alih
kode yang menurut Liu Aichun dapat dibagi menjadi lima fungsi, yaitu (a) owing to
teacher’s linguistic competence and insecurity (karena keterbatasan kemampuan
berbahasa guru/pengajar dan rasa tidak percaya diri), (b) for ease of expression
(mempermudah cara penyampaian), (c) for translation of new and unfamiliar words
and expressions (menerjemahkan kata baru dan ungkapan yang baru dan belum
diketahui), (d) repetitive functions (untuk mengulang), dan (e) socializing functions
(untuk meningkatkan sosialisasi antara pengajar dan mahasiswa/murid).
Setelah melakukan analisis, hasil yang saya dapat menunjukkan bahwa fungsi
code-switching yang paling banyak digunakan pengajar adalah fungsi repetitive
ii
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function, yang bertujuan untuk memberikan pesan kepada mahasiswa agar dapat lebih
mengerti dengan apa yang diajarkan dan dijelaskan oleh pengajar.
iii
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………… i
ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………. ii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study…………………………………………………...
The Statement of the Problem………………………………………………
Purpose of the Study………………………………………………………..
Method of Research………………………………………………………...
Organization of the Thesis………………………………………………….
1
4
4
4
5
CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK………………………… 6
CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF CODE-SWITCHING
IN GRAMMAR: BASICS OF SENTENCE CONSTRUCTIONS CLASS……… 11
CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION…………………………………………….. 26
BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………… 30
APPENDIX………………………………………………………………………... 31
i
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
In our life, we need to communicate with other people around us. We use
language in communication. "Language is a system of communication in speech and
writing that is used by people of a particular country or area." ("Language").
Language is also used to give information or in order to get information.
There are many ways for people to communicate with others. There are verbal
language and non-verbal language. Verbal language is when we communicate using
oral and written language, while non-verbal language is used to communicate using
body language, gestures, or facial expression. Verbal language is the most commonly
used in our life because we always use it every day or even every time in the form of
conversation, teaching, speaking in order to communicate or to interact with other
people around us.
1
Maranatha Christian University
By using language, especially verbal language, we can easily interact with
others and we can understand what others mean. And also we can make a good
relationship with everyone. In addition, we can ask someone about something that we
do not know. In other words, we use language to express our feelings, ask for
information, and so on.
As we already know, people nowadays speak different languages. They even
use more than one language when they are communicating or interacting with other
people around them. People who converse with others using many languages are
called multilingual. There are also people who communicate with only two different
languages. They are called bilinguals. Usually, multilingual and bilingual people are
competent and fluent in those languages. That is why he/she can easily switch from
one language to another language. This is called code-switching. Code-switching can
be done in daily activities or formal places including in a classroom.
Code-switching occurs, for example, when a speaker wants to express
solidarity with a particular social group. A speaker uses code-switching when he/she
switches from his/her native language (NL) to the target language (TL). Native
language refers to the first language that a person acquires in earliest childhood. It is
also known as the primary language or the mother tongue, while the target language
refers to the language being learned. It is also known as the second language which
refers to any language learned after learning the first language.
When a teacher of a foreign language is teaching, he/she usually tends to use
more than one language. A teacher has his/her own reasons when he/she decides to
switch languages in a conversation. For example, a teacher wants to emphasize
2
Maranatha Christian University
something that is important to the students, or sometimes just want to express
thought, or to translate a new word. So, a teacher may use code-switching in order to
make the students understand what he/she is explaining.
The topic that I choose for my thesis is Analysis of Code-Switching in
Grammar: Basic of Construction class by Hendra Liem, S.S. M.Hum. Mr. Hendra is a
lecturer at the English Department of Maranatha Christian University, Bandung. I
choose Mr. Hendra because I need to observe a person whose first language (L1) is
Bahasa Indonesia and second language (L2) is English. Mr. Hendra tends to switch
between Bahasa Indonesia and English when he is teaching. Furthermore, I also
interview the lecturer for the accuracy of the data that has been taken and analyze the
reasons for switching his codes.
The topic of code-switching belongs to Sociolinguistics. "Sociolinguistics is a
term including the aspects of linguistics applied toward the connections between
language and society, and the way we use it in different social situations". (Ounas).
We use different styles in different social contexts. We often have different names for
people when we are addressing them directly in different contexts. When we address
and greet others, there is a variety of ways of saying the same thing. The choice for us
to address someone depends on factors such as the relationship between us and them
in a particular situation, and how we feel about the person addressed.
The topic of code-switching interests me because code-switching is a
phenomenon that often occurs in our daily life and people are often unaware of the
reality that they switch codes. This is the phenomenon that prompted me to do this
observation about code-switching. Code-switching may happen in society, in work
3
Maranatha Christian University
place and in classrooms. Therefore, I would like to find out what the speaker's goals
are when he uses code-switching while speaking and teaching.
The significance of this particular study of code-switching is that I hope it can
help the reader to develop their knowledge and their understanding of codeswitching.
(762 Words)
The Statement of the Problem
Through the phenomenon that already mention above, I would like to find out
the answer to the following questions:
1. Why does the speaker use code-switching?
2. What is the function of code-switching in the speaker's utterance?
Purpose of the Study
1. To find out why the speaker use code-switching.
2. To explain the function of code-switching in the speaker's utterance.
Method of Research
First, I learned the theory of code-switching. Second, I came to Mr. Hendra
and asked permission to observe him in his class. Third, I observed Mr. Hendra
during the teaching activities in Grammar: Basic of Construction class. Fourth, after
observing the class, I transcribed the lecturer's utterances. The fifth step is
4
Maranatha Christian University
interviewing him about the purposes and the functions of his use of code-switching.
Finally, I analyzed the data using theory of code-switching.
Organization of the Thesis
My thesis consists of four parts. Chapter One is the Introduction, which is
divided into: Background of the Study, Method of Research and Organization of the
Thesis. Chapter Two is Theoretical Framework. Chapter Three is the analysis of the
data. Chapter Four is the conclusion of the analysis. And the last parts are the
Appendices and Bibliography.
5
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER FOUR
CONCLUSION
In this chapter, I would like to review what I have discussed in the previous
chapter and I would also like to conclude the points on my analysis from the data that
I have analyzed. After recording, interviewing the teacher and doing the analysis of
the teacher’s utterances, I find out that the teacher has used code-switching which
according to the theory belongs to several types of function in code-switching. In
addition, the teacher’s utterance has different purposes.
In the previous chapter, I collected thirteen data to be analyzed in my thesis.
From all the data that I have collected, I find eleven data that involve the repetitive
function. It is the most commonly code-switching function that appeared in all the
data. Moreover, I find four data which involve the socializing function, and four data
which involve the translation of new and unfamiliar words and expressions. In
my analysis, the functions owing to teacher’s linguistic incompetence and
insecurity and for ease of expression are not found.
26
Maranatha Christian University
From the data that I have analyzed, the code-switching that most frequently
happens in the teacher’s utterances belongs to the repetitive function. I believe the
speaker who is Mr. Hendra, does this a lot because the subject he is teaching is
grammar class, which needs a lot of clarification on the material that has been given
to the students. Also, it has become habitual for Mr. Hendra to repeat his explanation
by using code-switching to make the students understand the material better. So, Mr.
Hendra needs to repeat what he has been said in the form of translation to ensure the
student get the meaning conveyed and understand the lecturer’s explanation correctly.
I would also like to point out that there are four data showing the codeswitching using socializing function, which is used by the teacher to make the
teacher create a closer relationship with the students. In my opinion, a teacher needs
to maintain the situation while teaching. By using code-switching from one language
to another, a teacher can get closer to students and develop solidarity and friendship
between a teacher and students, so that the classroom situation is more enjoyable and
relaxed. This will give the students a feeling of ease that can affect the students’
performance.
Translation of new and unfamiliar words and expression is also found in
some data of my thesis, which occurs when the teacher introduces new vocabulary or
unfamiliar words. In this case, the code-switching utterances happened because the
teacher is afraid that the students might not understand his/her explanation of the new
words or the unfamiliar words. In the teaching material, there might be some English
words that are new or unfamiliar to the students. Mr. Hendra needs to use code-
27
Maranatha Christian University
switching to give a proper explanation of the meaning of those words to the students
so that the students can understand the material.
Besides the three functions that I have found in the analysis, there are two
other functions that I did not find in the analysis. The first function is for ease of
expression, which occurs when a speaker uses code-switching from English to
Bahasa Indonesia because the Bahasa Indonesia equivalent is not easy to retrieve in
the English language. In my opinion, it is often quite difficult to find the English
equivalent for some Bahasa Indonesia words and expressions. This is the function
that did not occur when Mr. Hendra was explaining the materials in class. The reason
is that the vocabulary in Grammar class is not too difficult.
The other function that Mr. Hendra did not use is owing to teacher’s
linguistic competence and insecurity, which happens when the teacher does not
know what English word he/she should use. In my opinion, this kind of codeswitching is not found and never occurs in the classroom because the teacher, Mr.
Hendra, is very fluent and competent in using the English language. Mr. Hendra
never seems insecure about what English word he should use. He always knows the
English words that he wants to use.
After analyzing the use of code-switching in this grammar class, I conclude
that code-switching plays an important role to help the teaching and learning process
in class. By using code-switching, a teacher gives the students a better understanding.
In the end, this will affect the students’ performance in tests. The act of codeswitching is not only useful for helping the students to understand the material better,
28
Maranatha Christian University
but it is also worth analyzing to reveal the function of the code-switching and the
lecturer’s purposes in doing the code-switching.
In my point of view as a student, sometimes it is hard to understand some
words or expressions in the English language. For example the word ‘lavish’ is very
unfamiliar to me. I think if the teacher explain the word ‘lavish’ in Bahasa Indonesia,
it will be easier for me to get the meaning of the word and understand the subject
better. So, I think the use of code-switching by a teacher in teaching classroom is very
helpful to the students.
By writing this thesis, I hope this thesis can be useful to the reader especially
for those who wants to make a research with the same topic and for those who teach
or give lectures in English as a target language. I would like to suggest to the other
researches who want to make a research with the same topic to choose data from a
language teaching class in which the lecturer/teacher usually switches codes from
his/her target language, in our case English, to his/her native language, in our case
Bahasa Indonesia, so that it is suitable to be analyzed. I also want to suggest for those
who give lecture in English as a target language that using code-switching can be
useful to the audience to understand the message better.
(968 words)
29
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kelly A. H. Zirker. "Intrasentential vs Intersentential Code Switching In Early And
Late Bilinguals." Brigham Young University. August 2007. Web. 19
Mar 2014.
"Language." Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
8th edition. 2013.
Liu, Aichun. Teacher codeswitching between English and Chinese in English-asforeign-language classroom. Beijing Foreign Studies University. Print.
30
Maranatha Christian University
Dalam tugas akhir ini, saya menganalisis code-switching (alih kode) yang
dilakukan oleh dosen di dalam kelas Grammar. Dosen tersebut melakukan alih kode
pada saat menerangkan materi yang sedang diajarkan di dalam kelas. Alih kode yang
dilakukan dosen tersebut mempunyai beberapa tujuan tertentu dan berdampak pada
mahasiswa untuk dapat memahami materi yang diterangkan.
Sumber data yang saya ambil dalam tugas akhir ini adalah ujaran-ujaran dosen
pada saat sedang melakukan kegiatan belajar-mengajar. Setelah melakukan observasi,
saya kemudian melakukan analisis dengan menggunakan teori tentang fungsi alih
kode yang menurut Liu Aichun dapat dibagi menjadi lima fungsi, yaitu (a) owing to
teacher’s linguistic competence and insecurity (karena keterbatasan kemampuan
berbahasa guru/pengajar dan rasa tidak percaya diri), (b) for ease of expression
(mempermudah cara penyampaian), (c) for translation of new and unfamiliar words
and expressions (menerjemahkan kata baru dan ungkapan yang baru dan belum
diketahui), (d) repetitive functions (untuk mengulang), dan (e) socializing functions
(untuk meningkatkan sosialisasi antara pengajar dan mahasiswa/murid).
Setelah melakukan analisis, hasil yang saya dapat menunjukkan bahwa fungsi
code-switching yang paling banyak digunakan pengajar adalah fungsi repetitive
ii
Maranatha Christian University
function, yang bertujuan untuk memberikan pesan kepada mahasiswa agar dapat lebih
mengerti dengan apa yang diajarkan dan dijelaskan oleh pengajar.
iii
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………… i
ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………. ii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study…………………………………………………...
The Statement of the Problem………………………………………………
Purpose of the Study………………………………………………………..
Method of Research………………………………………………………...
Organization of the Thesis………………………………………………….
1
4
4
4
5
CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK………………………… 6
CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF CODE-SWITCHING
IN GRAMMAR: BASICS OF SENTENCE CONSTRUCTIONS CLASS……… 11
CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION…………………………………………….. 26
BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………… 30
APPENDIX………………………………………………………………………... 31
i
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
In our life, we need to communicate with other people around us. We use
language in communication. "Language is a system of communication in speech and
writing that is used by people of a particular country or area." ("Language").
Language is also used to give information or in order to get information.
There are many ways for people to communicate with others. There are verbal
language and non-verbal language. Verbal language is when we communicate using
oral and written language, while non-verbal language is used to communicate using
body language, gestures, or facial expression. Verbal language is the most commonly
used in our life because we always use it every day or even every time in the form of
conversation, teaching, speaking in order to communicate or to interact with other
people around us.
1
Maranatha Christian University
By using language, especially verbal language, we can easily interact with
others and we can understand what others mean. And also we can make a good
relationship with everyone. In addition, we can ask someone about something that we
do not know. In other words, we use language to express our feelings, ask for
information, and so on.
As we already know, people nowadays speak different languages. They even
use more than one language when they are communicating or interacting with other
people around them. People who converse with others using many languages are
called multilingual. There are also people who communicate with only two different
languages. They are called bilinguals. Usually, multilingual and bilingual people are
competent and fluent in those languages. That is why he/she can easily switch from
one language to another language. This is called code-switching. Code-switching can
be done in daily activities or formal places including in a classroom.
Code-switching occurs, for example, when a speaker wants to express
solidarity with a particular social group. A speaker uses code-switching when he/she
switches from his/her native language (NL) to the target language (TL). Native
language refers to the first language that a person acquires in earliest childhood. It is
also known as the primary language or the mother tongue, while the target language
refers to the language being learned. It is also known as the second language which
refers to any language learned after learning the first language.
When a teacher of a foreign language is teaching, he/she usually tends to use
more than one language. A teacher has his/her own reasons when he/she decides to
switch languages in a conversation. For example, a teacher wants to emphasize
2
Maranatha Christian University
something that is important to the students, or sometimes just want to express
thought, or to translate a new word. So, a teacher may use code-switching in order to
make the students understand what he/she is explaining.
The topic that I choose for my thesis is Analysis of Code-Switching in
Grammar: Basic of Construction class by Hendra Liem, S.S. M.Hum. Mr. Hendra is a
lecturer at the English Department of Maranatha Christian University, Bandung. I
choose Mr. Hendra because I need to observe a person whose first language (L1) is
Bahasa Indonesia and second language (L2) is English. Mr. Hendra tends to switch
between Bahasa Indonesia and English when he is teaching. Furthermore, I also
interview the lecturer for the accuracy of the data that has been taken and analyze the
reasons for switching his codes.
The topic of code-switching belongs to Sociolinguistics. "Sociolinguistics is a
term including the aspects of linguistics applied toward the connections between
language and society, and the way we use it in different social situations". (Ounas).
We use different styles in different social contexts. We often have different names for
people when we are addressing them directly in different contexts. When we address
and greet others, there is a variety of ways of saying the same thing. The choice for us
to address someone depends on factors such as the relationship between us and them
in a particular situation, and how we feel about the person addressed.
The topic of code-switching interests me because code-switching is a
phenomenon that often occurs in our daily life and people are often unaware of the
reality that they switch codes. This is the phenomenon that prompted me to do this
observation about code-switching. Code-switching may happen in society, in work
3
Maranatha Christian University
place and in classrooms. Therefore, I would like to find out what the speaker's goals
are when he uses code-switching while speaking and teaching.
The significance of this particular study of code-switching is that I hope it can
help the reader to develop their knowledge and their understanding of codeswitching.
(762 Words)
The Statement of the Problem
Through the phenomenon that already mention above, I would like to find out
the answer to the following questions:
1. Why does the speaker use code-switching?
2. What is the function of code-switching in the speaker's utterance?
Purpose of the Study
1. To find out why the speaker use code-switching.
2. To explain the function of code-switching in the speaker's utterance.
Method of Research
First, I learned the theory of code-switching. Second, I came to Mr. Hendra
and asked permission to observe him in his class. Third, I observed Mr. Hendra
during the teaching activities in Grammar: Basic of Construction class. Fourth, after
observing the class, I transcribed the lecturer's utterances. The fifth step is
4
Maranatha Christian University
interviewing him about the purposes and the functions of his use of code-switching.
Finally, I analyzed the data using theory of code-switching.
Organization of the Thesis
My thesis consists of four parts. Chapter One is the Introduction, which is
divided into: Background of the Study, Method of Research and Organization of the
Thesis. Chapter Two is Theoretical Framework. Chapter Three is the analysis of the
data. Chapter Four is the conclusion of the analysis. And the last parts are the
Appendices and Bibliography.
5
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER FOUR
CONCLUSION
In this chapter, I would like to review what I have discussed in the previous
chapter and I would also like to conclude the points on my analysis from the data that
I have analyzed. After recording, interviewing the teacher and doing the analysis of
the teacher’s utterances, I find out that the teacher has used code-switching which
according to the theory belongs to several types of function in code-switching. In
addition, the teacher’s utterance has different purposes.
In the previous chapter, I collected thirteen data to be analyzed in my thesis.
From all the data that I have collected, I find eleven data that involve the repetitive
function. It is the most commonly code-switching function that appeared in all the
data. Moreover, I find four data which involve the socializing function, and four data
which involve the translation of new and unfamiliar words and expressions. In
my analysis, the functions owing to teacher’s linguistic incompetence and
insecurity and for ease of expression are not found.
26
Maranatha Christian University
From the data that I have analyzed, the code-switching that most frequently
happens in the teacher’s utterances belongs to the repetitive function. I believe the
speaker who is Mr. Hendra, does this a lot because the subject he is teaching is
grammar class, which needs a lot of clarification on the material that has been given
to the students. Also, it has become habitual for Mr. Hendra to repeat his explanation
by using code-switching to make the students understand the material better. So, Mr.
Hendra needs to repeat what he has been said in the form of translation to ensure the
student get the meaning conveyed and understand the lecturer’s explanation correctly.
I would also like to point out that there are four data showing the codeswitching using socializing function, which is used by the teacher to make the
teacher create a closer relationship with the students. In my opinion, a teacher needs
to maintain the situation while teaching. By using code-switching from one language
to another, a teacher can get closer to students and develop solidarity and friendship
between a teacher and students, so that the classroom situation is more enjoyable and
relaxed. This will give the students a feeling of ease that can affect the students’
performance.
Translation of new and unfamiliar words and expression is also found in
some data of my thesis, which occurs when the teacher introduces new vocabulary or
unfamiliar words. In this case, the code-switching utterances happened because the
teacher is afraid that the students might not understand his/her explanation of the new
words or the unfamiliar words. In the teaching material, there might be some English
words that are new or unfamiliar to the students. Mr. Hendra needs to use code-
27
Maranatha Christian University
switching to give a proper explanation of the meaning of those words to the students
so that the students can understand the material.
Besides the three functions that I have found in the analysis, there are two
other functions that I did not find in the analysis. The first function is for ease of
expression, which occurs when a speaker uses code-switching from English to
Bahasa Indonesia because the Bahasa Indonesia equivalent is not easy to retrieve in
the English language. In my opinion, it is often quite difficult to find the English
equivalent for some Bahasa Indonesia words and expressions. This is the function
that did not occur when Mr. Hendra was explaining the materials in class. The reason
is that the vocabulary in Grammar class is not too difficult.
The other function that Mr. Hendra did not use is owing to teacher’s
linguistic competence and insecurity, which happens when the teacher does not
know what English word he/she should use. In my opinion, this kind of codeswitching is not found and never occurs in the classroom because the teacher, Mr.
Hendra, is very fluent and competent in using the English language. Mr. Hendra
never seems insecure about what English word he should use. He always knows the
English words that he wants to use.
After analyzing the use of code-switching in this grammar class, I conclude
that code-switching plays an important role to help the teaching and learning process
in class. By using code-switching, a teacher gives the students a better understanding.
In the end, this will affect the students’ performance in tests. The act of codeswitching is not only useful for helping the students to understand the material better,
28
Maranatha Christian University
but it is also worth analyzing to reveal the function of the code-switching and the
lecturer’s purposes in doing the code-switching.
In my point of view as a student, sometimes it is hard to understand some
words or expressions in the English language. For example the word ‘lavish’ is very
unfamiliar to me. I think if the teacher explain the word ‘lavish’ in Bahasa Indonesia,
it will be easier for me to get the meaning of the word and understand the subject
better. So, I think the use of code-switching by a teacher in teaching classroom is very
helpful to the students.
By writing this thesis, I hope this thesis can be useful to the reader especially
for those who wants to make a research with the same topic and for those who teach
or give lectures in English as a target language. I would like to suggest to the other
researches who want to make a research with the same topic to choose data from a
language teaching class in which the lecturer/teacher usually switches codes from
his/her target language, in our case English, to his/her native language, in our case
Bahasa Indonesia, so that it is suitable to be analyzed. I also want to suggest for those
who give lecture in English as a target language that using code-switching can be
useful to the audience to understand the message better.
(968 words)
29
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kelly A. H. Zirker. "Intrasentential vs Intersentential Code Switching In Early And
Late Bilinguals." Brigham Young University. August 2007. Web. 19
Mar 2014.
"Language." Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
8th edition. 2013.
Liu, Aichun. Teacher codeswitching between English and Chinese in English-asforeign-language classroom. Beijing Foreign Studies University. Print.
30
Maranatha Christian University