The Code-Mixing of Japanese, English and Thai in Line Chat

Authors: Premvadee Na Nakornpanom

Abstract:

Code- mixing in spontaneous speech has been widely discussed, but not in virtual situations; especially in context of the third language learning students. Thus, this study is an attempt to explore the linguistic characteristics of the mixing of Japanese, English and Thai in a mobile Line chat room by students with their background of English as L2, Japanese as L3 and Thai as mother tongue. The result found that insertion of Thai content words is a very common linguistic phenomenon embedded with the other two languages in the sentences. As chatting is to be ‘relational’ or ‘interactional’, it affected the style of lexical choices to be speech-like, more personal and emotionally-related. A personal pronoun in Japanese is often mixed into the sentences. The Japanese sentence-final question particle か “ka” was added to the end of the sentence based on Thai grammar rules. Some unique characteristics were created while chatting.

Keywords: Code-mixing, Japanese, English, Thai, Line chat.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1099116

References:

[1] Crystal, David, Language and the Internet. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.
[2] Steven, Millward, Thailand Now has 18 Million Social Media Users (INFOGRAPHIC), 2013. http://www.techinasia.com/thailand-18- million-social-media-users-in-2013/
[3] Maynor, N, The language of electronic mail: Written speech. In G. D. Little & M.Montgomery (Eds). Centennial Usage Studies, 78 (pp. 48-54), Tuscaloosa: The American Dialect Society,1994.
[4] Huffaker, David A. and Sandra L. Calvert, Gender, identity, and language use in teenage blogs. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 10:2, 2005. http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol10/issue2/huffaker.html Accessed 23 February 2006.
[5] James, G. July, Cantonese Particles in Hong Kong students’ English e-mails. In English Today 3 (67): 9:16. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2001.
[6] Poole, Christopher, The article of BBC “How the internet is changing language“by Zoe Kleinman, 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ technology-10971949
[7] Clyne, M. G, Community Languages: The Australian Experience: Cambridge ge University Press, 1991.
[8] Wei, L, The ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions in the analysis of conversational code switching. In P. Auer (Ed.), Code switching in conversation: Language, interaction and identity (pp. 156–176). London, UK: Routledge, 1998.
[9] Torres, L, Code-mixing and borrowing in New York Puerto Rican community: A cross-generational study. World Englishes 8,419-22, 1989.
[10] Muysken, P,Bilingual Speech: A Typolog of Code-mixing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
[11] Dulay, H., M. Burt, and S. Krashen, “The Role of the First Language.” In Language Two. Oxford: Oxford University Press: 115›117, 1982.
[12] Chen, Su-Chao, “Code-switching as a Verbal Strategy among Chinese in a Campus Setting in Taiwan.” World Englishes, 15(3): 267-280,1996.
[13] Poplack, S, "Sometimes I'll start a sentence in Spanish y termino en espaniol": Toward a typology of code-switching. Linguistics i8:58i--6i8, 1980.
[14] Chen, Su-Chao, Ibid.
[15] Poplack, S, Ibid.
[16] Jiraporn Yiamkhamnuan, The Mixing of Thai and English: Communicative Strategies in Internet Chat Rooms. Kasetsart J. (Soc. Sci) 32 : 478 - 492 ,2011
[17] Holmes, J, An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. New York: Longman, 1992.
[18] Jiraporn Yiamkhamnuan, Ibid.
[19] Chen, Su-Chao, Ibid.
[20] Poplack,s, Ibid.
[21] Muysken, P,Ibid.