Motivation for Amharic-English Code-switching Practice: Evidence from Radio Talk Show
Abstract
This paper is aiming at looking into why Amharic-English bilingual speakers switch to English in Amharic speech. Data were collected from some selected radio talk shows in three radio stations: Fana, Voice of America and Deutsche Welle Radio (Amharic service). This paper presents detailed evidence to show why bilinguals switch back and forth between Amharic and English and what triggers them to switch to English in their Amharic utterance. The analyses of data offered a window through which we observed the underlying discursive functions of Amharic-English code-switching in radio talk show. These encompass a wide range of functions as a device for quoting, repeating, emphasizing and clarifying position. It also functions as an identity marker, a mechanism for filling a lexical or pragmatic gap. The results of the study reveal that Amharic-English code-switching can serve as a strategic tool to avoid communication breakdown. Moreover, the study provides many cases in which bilingual speakers consciously/unconsciously employed switching to English in their Amharic speeches. Hence, it was possible to conclude that code-switching behaviour cannot always be an icon of linguistic deficiency but rather a strategic tool for successful communication. In conclusion, code-switching can be motivated mainly by sociolinguistic, psycholinguistic or contextual factors.
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