Code Switching in Indonesian Pop Songs
JON SASTRO
Abstract
This study aims at describing code switching found in Indonesian pop songs
composed by some Indonesian pop song composers. The research problems are what
types of code switching and what are the reasons why the composers switch the
language in their songs. This study is expected to give some useful
contributions to the theory of Sociolinguistics, particularly the theory of
code switching. The findings of this study are expected to give some useful
insights to English Department students in order to get better understanding of
the use of code switching by Indonesian pop song composers. It is descriptive
qualitative study and the data is in the form of written lyrics. The writer collects
data by finding the lyrics of Indonesian pop songs in the internet and in the
songs magazines, selecting lyrics that consist of Indonesian-English code
switching, and coding the selected code switching by giving numbers to help the
analysis run well. The results show that there are 4 types of code switching
which are used by Indonesian pop song composers, namely intra-sentential
switching, inter-sentential switching, emblematic switching, and involving a
word within a sentence. 6 reasons why Indonesian pop song composers code switch
their language are talking about a particular topic, inserting a sentence
fillers or sentence connectors, repetition used for clarification, expressing
group identity, softening and strengthening request or command, and inserting a
real lexical need. There is an additional reason why they code switch their
language, that is for marketing purposes.
Key words: Code
switching, Indonesian pop song lyrics
Introduction
Apakah yang dapat
menyatukan kita
Semua tentunya dengan musik
Semua tentunya dengan musik
Dangdut is the music
of my country
Dangdut is the music of my country
My country, oh my country
Dangdut is the music of my country
My country, oh my country
Literature
Review
Speech
Community
People are social
beings who belong to certain community. Each community has its own
characteristics including its way of communication. This kind of community is
called speech community. According to Gumperz (1971: 224), a speech community
is “dynamic fields of action where phonetic change borrowing, language mixture,
and language shift all occur”.
Bilingualism
Spolsky (1998:45)
defines bilingual as, “A person who has some functional ability in second
language”. This ability may vary from one bilingual to another. Related to
speech community, Hamers and Blanc (1987:6) define bilingualism as “the state
of a linguistic community in which two languages are in contact with the result
that codes can be used in the same interaction and that a number of individuals
are bilinguals”. In short, bilinguals can choose what language they are going
to use. In this line, Spolsky (1998:46) says “the bilinguals have a repertoire
of domain-relate rules of language choice”. In other words, bilinguals can vary
their choice of language to suit the existing situation and condition in order
to communicate effectively. This leads them to alternate two languages within
the same utterance or commonly called, code switching.
Definition of Code
Switching
Code switching is
potentially the most creative aspect of bilingual speech (Hoffman, 1991:109).
He further adds that the feature of bilingual speech such as interference, code
mixing and code switching are normal phenomenon because bilinguals often find
it easier to discuss a particular topic in one language rather than another
(Holmes, 1992:44). Similiarly, Spolsky (1998) says that bilinguals like to
shift their language for convenience. This situation may be the basic reason
why people do code switching in their speech. Mackey (1970: 569) as quoted by
Hoffman states that interference is the use of features belonging to one
language while speaking or writing another. Hamers and Blanc (1987: 266) state
that borrowing is taking over linguistic form (usually lexicon items) by one
language to the ‘langue’ as described by Mackey (1970), quoted by Hoffman
(1991: 102). Grosjean (1982) as quoted by Hoffman uses the term ‘language
borrowing’ to refer to the terms that have passed from one language to another
and have come to be used even by monolinguals. Redlinger and Park (1980: 339)
write: ‘In this study, language mixing refers to the combining of elements from
two languages in a single utterance’. Genesee
(1989) suggests that: ‘It is desirable to extend the definition of mixing to
include single word utterances from one two languages during the same stretch
of conversation between a child and caregiver.’ Hoffman (1991:111) says that
the most general description of code switching is that it involves the alternate
use of two languages or linguistic varieties within the same utterance or
during the same conversation. Redlinger and Park (1980) define code switching
as “the combination of elements from two languages in a single utterance”. Code
switching is also different from code mixing. According to Hamers and Blanc
(1987:266), code mixing is a strategy of communication used by speakers of a
language who transfer elements or rules from other language to their own
language. These transferred elements are mostly in the form of function words,
articles, prepositions, conjunctions, and adverbs (Hoffman, 1991:106).
McLaughlin (1984), as quoted by Hoffman (1991:110), emphasizes the difference
between code switching and code mixing in the sense that “code mixing takes
place within sentences and usually involves single lexical item while code
switching is a language change occurring across phrase or sentence boundaries.”
Besides abovementioned explanations, the difference of borrowing and code
mixing or code switching is in terms of their writing. For borrowing, since the
loan word is already adapted into the native language, it is written in regular
word, for instance “seksi”. Whereas, for code mixing or code switching,
since it still follows the morphological aspect of the borrowed-language, so it
is written in italics: sexy. For the emphasis of the difference of code mixing
and code switching, code mixing follow the rule of the native language, for
example “Foldernya yang kemaren sudah di-delete apa belum?”, while in code
switching which follow the rule of the source language, it will pronounced
“Foldernya yang kemaren sudah deleted apa belum?”.
Types of
Code Switching
Blom and Gumperz
(1972 in Saville-Troke, 1986:64) classify code switching into two dimensions.
There are two types of code switching based on the distinction which applies to
the style shifting. The first type is situational code switching. Wardhough
(1986:103) states that situational code switching occurs when the languages
used change according to the situation in which the conversant find themselves:
they speak one language in one situation and another in a different one. No
topic change is involved. When a change topic requires a change in language
used, we have metaphorical code switching. Saville-Troike (1986:62) define
metaphorical code switching as a code switching occurring within a single
situation but adding some meaning to such components as the. The example of
situational code switching is that in some universities a ritual shift occurs
at the end of a successful dissertation defense, when professors address the
(former) student as Doctor and invite first names in return. While, the example
of metaphorical code switching is when a German girl shifts from du to Sie with
a boy to indicate the relationship has cooled, or when a wife calls her husband
Mr (Smith) to indicate her displeasure.
The second
classification is based on the scope of switching or the nature of the juncture
which language takes place (Saville-Troike, 1986:65). The basic distinction in
its scope is usually between intersentential switching, or change which occurs
between sentences or speech acts, and intrasentential switching, or change
which occurs within a single sentence.
Hoffman (1991:112)
shows many types of code switching based on the juncture or the scope of
switching where language takes place, Intra-sentential switching (it occurs
within a sentence), inter-sentential switching (it occurs between sentences,
emblematic switching (it is tags or exclamation as an emblem of the bilingual
character, establishing continuity with the previous speaker, involving a
change of pronunciation (the switching occurs at the phonological level,
involving a word within a sentence (this form of code switching is uttered
within a sentence involving nouns, adjectives, verbs, etc.)
Code mixing is a
part of code switching which can be included in the type of code switching:
“Involving a word within a sentence” because according to Poplack (1980),
McLauglin (1984), and Appel and Muysken (1987), code mixing is switches
occurring at the lexical level within a sentence.
Reasons of
Code Switching
According to Hoffman
(1991:116), there are seven reasons for bilinguals to switch their languages.
The seven reasons are as follows: (1) talking about a particular topic, (2)
quoting somebody else, (3) being emphatic about something, (4) interjection,
(5) repetition used for clarification, (6) intention of clarifying the speech
content for the interlocutor, and (7) expressing group identity.
Besides the reasons
suggested by Hoffman, Saville-Troike (1986:69) gives additional reasons: (1)
softening and strengthening request or command, (2) because of real lexical
need, either if the speaker knows the desired expression in one language cannot
be satisfactorily translated into second, and (3) to exclude other people when
a comment is intended for only a limited audience.
Methodology
It is a descriptive
study which aims at describing code switching found in the Indonesian pop songs
composed by Indonesian pop songs composers. the main instrument in this
research is the researcher herself as the key-human instrument. The data
of the study is in the form of written lyrics. There are twenty songs which are
used as data in this study. The writer collects the data by finding the lyrics
of those songs in the internet and in the songs magazines, selecting lyrics
that consist of Indonesian-English code switching, and coding the selected code
switching (data) by giving numbers to help the analysis run well. The lyrics
are typed in three kinds of forms: regular for Indonesian language, bold for
the English or Indonesian-English code switching which is analyzed, and italic
for English code switching which is not analyzed. The data are analyzed
by cclassifying any forms of switched lyrics based on the types of code
switching, finding out the reasons of the use of code switching used by the
composer of the study based on the data.
Findings and
Discussion
Table 4.1 The
frequency of the occurrences of the types of code switching in Indonesia
|
No.
|
Types
|
Frequency
|
Percentages
|
|
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
|
Intra-sentential switching
Inter-sentential switching
Emblematic switching
Establishing continuity with the previous
speaker
Involving a change of pronunciation
Involving a word within a sentence
|
6
21
2
-
7
21
|
10.53
36.84
3.51
-
12.28
36.84
|
|
TOTAL
|
57
|
100
|
|
The table shows that Indonesian pop songs composers code switch their language
from Bahasa Indonesia into English mostly belong to the type of
inter-sentential switching (36.84%) and involving a word within a sentence
(36.84%). Then, code switchings that belong to the type of involving a change
of pronunciation is in the third place (12.28 %), they are only found in two
songs (see Appendix A, data no. 18 and 19). Next, it is intra-sentential
switching (10.53%). And then, the last is emblematic switching. There is no
code switching that can be categorized into the type number four, establishing
continuity with the previous speaker, because this study is not the study of
code switching in verbal communication.
Table 4.2 The
frequency of the occurrences of the reasons why Indonesian pop songs composers
use code switching in their composed songs
|
No.
|
Reasons
|
Frequency
|
Percentages
|
|
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
|
Talking about a particular topic
Love
Unity
Party
Quoting somebody else
Being emphatic about something
Inserting a sentence fillers or sentence connectors
Repetition used for clarification
Clarifying the speech content for the interlocutor
Expressing group identity
Softening and strengthening request or command
Inserting a real lexical need
Excluding other people when a comment is intended for only a limited
audience
|
50
(39)
(1)
(10)
-
-
1
30
-
50
4
4
-
|
35.97
(28.05)
(0.72)
(7.2)
0.72
21.58
35.97
2.88
2.88
-
|
|
TOTAL
|
139
|
100
|
|
Reasons no. 1 and 7 have 50 data. For reason no.1 (35.97%), the writer finds
that talking about a particular topic as one of the reasons of the use of code
switching can be divided into particular topics: love (28.05%), unity (0.72%),
and party (7.2%). Talking about love has the highest percentage because mostly
songs talks about love. It is not surprising because love is one of the most
important aspects in human’s life. Next, the reason of language switching is
talking about party, and the last is talking about unity. National unity is
something rarely discussed, especially in daily songs. It is often found being
discussed in national songs. However, Project Pop sang this song, particularly
using language switching to ask Indonesians to keep together and respect
differences. Showing group identity (35.97%) is another reason of the use of
code switching by Indonesian pop songs composers that the writer considers represented
through all data. Those composers who are able to code switch from Bahasa
Indonesia into English feel that they belong to a certain group, while the
others who do not do it belong to the other group. Repetition used for
clarification (21.58%) is the next reasons why Indonesian pop songs composers
do code switching. It has been mentioned before that sometimes certain
expressions cannot satisfactorily presented in one language, particularly for
those who are able to communicate by using more than one language,
therefore, Indonesian pop songs composers often repeat the same massage
by using both languages. It is this reason that sometimes Indonesian pop songs
composers code switch their language from Bahasa Indonesia into English.
Softening and strengthening request or command and inserting a real lexical
need have the same percentages (2.88%). The least percentage of the reasons of
using code switching is inserting a real lexical need. The rest reasons,
quoting somebody else, being emphatic about something, clarifying the speech
content for the interlocutor, and excluding other people when a comment is
intended for only a limited audience, because it is not the study of code
switching in verbal communication.
There is another reason for using of code switching by some Indonesian pop song
composers outside from the existing theory, namely marketing purposes.
Probably, some of Indonesian pop song composers code switch their
language from Bahasa Idonesia into English in their composed songs because they
want to attract the prospective buyers, especially teenagers who cannot detach
their life from music and/or song. One of Indonesian movie producers once
acknowledged that he preferred to use English as the title of his films because
it would be more attractive for movie-goers.For example, the second single of
Vagetoz, 'BETAPA AKU MENCINTAIMU [BAM]' has been more successful in
the market compared to its first single 'SAAT KAU PERGI’ because
containing "code switching”.
Conclusion
Indonesian pop songs composers code switch their language from Bahasa Indonesia
into English mostly belong to the type of inter-sentential switching.
Inter-sentential switching is mostly used by some Indonesian pop song composers
because they prefer to express their messages from one language then code
switch it into another language. The type of code switching of emblematic
switching is the least code switching which is found in this study because
emblematic code switching as tags or exclamations as an emblem of bilingual
character is usually found in exchange, whereas most of the songs tell about
stories.
From six types suggested by Hoffman, there is no code switching that can be
categorized into the type number four and five, establishing continuity with
the previous speaker and involving a change of pronunciation, because this
study is not the study of code switching in verbal
communication.
From ten reasons which are used to analyze why Indonesian pop songs composers
switch their language from Bahasa Indonesia into English, only six reasons that
are found in this study. Talking about particular topic and expressing group
identity are assumed represented by all data because this study discuss songs
in which one data must be discussed in the context of the song as a whole part.
On the other hand, quoting somebody else, being emphatic about something,
clarifying the speech content for the interlocutor, and excluding other people
when a comment is intended for only a limited audience, because it is not the
study of code switching in verbal communication.
From the findings, it is known that Indonesian pop songs composers do code
switching because they mostly talk about particular topics, namely love, unity,
and party, and they intent to “show off” their group identity as Indonesian pop
songs composers who are able to code switch into English in their composed
songs. It proves Syafi’ie’s suggestion (1980: 40) that the language in Indonesia
There is another
reason of the use of code switching by some Indonesian pop song composers
outside from the existing theory which is found in this study, namely marketing
purpose. Probably, some of Indonesian pop song composers code switch their
language from Bahasa Idonesia into English in their composed songs because they
want to attract the prospective buyers, especially teenagers who cannot detach
their life from music and/or song. Perhaps it is the underlying reason why the
second single of Vagetoz, 'BETAPA AKU MENCINTAIMU [BAM]' which involves
"code switching" has been more successful in the market compared to
its first single 'SAAT KAU PERGI’ which was assumed to have no uniqueness
compared to other bands that recently grow like mushrooms.
Suggestions
For Sociolinguistics
students, it is hoped that by knowing the results of this study, they would
know some types of Indonesian-English code switching which are used by
Indonesian pop songs composers and under for what reason they code switch from
Bahasa Indonesia into English.
For Future
Researchers, since this study does not involve all aspects of code switching,
it is hoped that the future researchers can include all aspects of code
switching, for instance the translation of Bahasa Indonesia into English found
in the lyrics because a lot of composers using code switching as a repetition
for clarification, such as in the case of songs written by Melly Goeslaw
(Butterfly, My Heart). They are also expected to explore and investigate some
other phenomena of Indonesian-English code switching in any speech community in
order to reveal some other types and reasons of Indonesian-English code
switching.
References
Apriana, A. 2003.
Mixing and Switching in SMS Messages. Unpublished S-1 thesis. Malang :
State University
of Malang
Azar, B.S. 1009.
Understanding and Using Grammar (3rd ed). New York
Fishmn, J. 1972. The
Sociology of Language. Massachusetts
Gumperz, J.J. 1971.
Language in Social Groups. Standford: Standford University
Hamers, F.J. &
Blanc, H.A.M. 1987. Bilinguality and Bilingualism. Cambridge :
Cambridge University
Hoffman, C. 1991. An
Introduction to Bilingualism. New
York
Holmes. J. 1992. An
Introduction to Sociolinguistics. New
York
Hornby, A.S. 2005.
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (7th ed). Oxford :
Oxford University
Hymes, D. 1974.
Foundation in Sociolinguistics: An Ethnographic Approach. Philadelphia :
University of Pennsylvania
Kurnia, K.I. 2005.
Indonesian-English Code Switching by the Host of “Country Road Malang : State University of Malang
Savile-Troike, M.
1986. The Ethnography of Communication: An Introduction. Oxford
Spolsky, B. 1998.
Sociolinguistics. Oxford : Oxford University
Sulistyaningrum.
2005. An Analysis of Code Switching in Umar Kayam’s Collected Essays MAngan Ora
Mangan Kumpul. Unpublished S-1 thesis. Malang : State University
of Malang
Syamsudin.
2002. Code Switching among Banjarese People. Unpublished S-1 thesis. Malang : State University of Malang
Universitas Negeri Malang Malang : State
University of Malang
Wardhani, T.A. 2007.
Code Switching Used by Indonesian Bloggers in Friendster Blogs. Unpublished S-1
thesis. Malang : State
University of Malang
Wardhaugh, R. 1986.
An Introduction to Socilinguistics. New
York
Wikipedia. 2008.
Internet, (online), (htpp://encyclopedia. Internet. Html, accessed on May 22,
2008)
Tembang.com. 2008.
Internet, (online), (htpp://tembang.com. Internet. Html, accessed on May 22,
2008)
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar