Why do Mandarin speakers code-switch? a case study of conversational code-switching in China
Multilingualism is becoming increasingly common worldwide, with multilingual studies becoming more popular and accelerating interpersonal language contacts; however, it remains controversial and ambiguous in China. The current study aims to explore codeswitching (CS) patterns and factors among Mand...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer Nature Publisher
2024
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/111995/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/111995/1/2024_HSSCOMMS_1-11_SSCI_Q1_Scopus_ZXY.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848865828968071168 |
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| author | Zhong, Xinyi Ang, Lay Hoon Victor Danarajan, Sharon Sharmini |
| author_facet | Zhong, Xinyi Ang, Lay Hoon Victor Danarajan, Sharon Sharmini |
| author_sort | Zhong, Xinyi |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Multilingualism is becoming increasingly common worldwide, with multilingual studies becoming more popular and accelerating interpersonal language contacts; however, it
remains controversial and ambiguous in China. The current study aims to explore codeswitching (CS) patterns and factors among Mandarin-dominated mainland Chinese speakers and investigate multilingual development in China through CS, as it is a multilingual practice. Conversational analysis was conducted to analyse daily interactions in short videos posted online, categorise language varieties and frequencies, identify CS patterns, and examine the factors influencing CS patterns. The results revealed that foreign languages and dialects other than Mandarin were spoken by Mandarin-dominated speakers. Three of four CS patterns were also pinpointed regarding language practices in China. Insertion was the most predominant pattern, followed by backflagging and alternation. The CS patterns employed by Mandarin-dominated mainland Chinese speakers were influenced primarily by participant-related factors, followed by linguistic-related factors, sociopsychological factors, convenience, and situational factors. The prevalence of the insertional CS pattern and the influence of personal factors suggest that China’s Mandarin-speaking community is in an early phase of multilingual development. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:10:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-111995 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:10:55Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | Springer Nature Publisher |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-1119952024-09-10T07:59:30Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/111995/ Why do Mandarin speakers code-switch? a case study of conversational code-switching in China Zhong, Xinyi Ang, Lay Hoon Victor Danarajan, Sharon Sharmini Multilingualism is becoming increasingly common worldwide, with multilingual studies becoming more popular and accelerating interpersonal language contacts; however, it remains controversial and ambiguous in China. The current study aims to explore codeswitching (CS) patterns and factors among Mandarin-dominated mainland Chinese speakers and investigate multilingual development in China through CS, as it is a multilingual practice. Conversational analysis was conducted to analyse daily interactions in short videos posted online, categorise language varieties and frequencies, identify CS patterns, and examine the factors influencing CS patterns. The results revealed that foreign languages and dialects other than Mandarin were spoken by Mandarin-dominated speakers. Three of four CS patterns were also pinpointed regarding language practices in China. Insertion was the most predominant pattern, followed by backflagging and alternation. The CS patterns employed by Mandarin-dominated mainland Chinese speakers were influenced primarily by participant-related factors, followed by linguistic-related factors, sociopsychological factors, convenience, and situational factors. The prevalence of the insertional CS pattern and the influence of personal factors suggest that China’s Mandarin-speaking community is in an early phase of multilingual development. Springer Nature Publisher 2024-08-04 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/111995/1/2024_HSSCOMMS_1-11_SSCI_Q1_Scopus_ZXY.pdf Zhong, Xinyi and Ang, Lay Hoon and Victor Danarajan, Sharon Sharmini (2024) Why do Mandarin speakers code-switch? a case study of conversational code-switching in China. Humanities & Social Sciences Communications, 11. art. no. 999. pp. 1-10. ISSN 2662-9992 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-024-03534-z Sociolinguistics 10.1057/s41599-024-03534-z |
| spellingShingle | Sociolinguistics Zhong, Xinyi Ang, Lay Hoon Victor Danarajan, Sharon Sharmini Why do Mandarin speakers code-switch? a case study of conversational code-switching in China |
| title | Why do Mandarin speakers code-switch? a case
study of conversational code-switching in China |
| title_full | Why do Mandarin speakers code-switch? a case
study of conversational code-switching in China |
| title_fullStr | Why do Mandarin speakers code-switch? a case
study of conversational code-switching in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Why do Mandarin speakers code-switch? a case
study of conversational code-switching in China |
| title_short | Why do Mandarin speakers code-switch? a case
study of conversational code-switching in China |
| title_sort | why do mandarin speakers code-switch? a case
study of conversational code-switching in china |
| topic | Sociolinguistics |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/111995/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/111995/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/111995/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/111995/1/2024_HSSCOMMS_1-11_SSCI_Q1_Scopus_ZXY.pdf |