Code-Switching on Computer-Mediated Discourse: An Analysis of the Facebookrs Walls as Second Language Learners

Abstract

This article examines Facebook's language usage and students' code-switching behaviour, highlighting the internet's revolution in communication and the common tendency for users to mix or switch languages. The study investigates English language usage frequency, code-switching types, and Facebook's most important topics using Glaser and Strauss' (1998) Grounded theory and Kelly's (2009) and Romaine's (2009) designs for categorization, using a mixed method research approach. The study reveals that 43% of Facebook users use English, with 60% using intra-sentential code-switching. Conversations are the most popular topic, with other secondary purposes. Facebook language is primarily based on fragmented intra-sentential code-switching. Facebook language is becoming a concern in academic writing, necessitating educators to recognise its recurrent inclination in written communication. Scholars should research the influence of Facebook on academic language and its potential as an international medium while also considering whether this new medium benefits people worldwide or causes language death.