this presentation sheds light on the types of Kurdish-English code-switching by six bilingual facebook users. it also analyses the code-switching according to the six-function model of Gumperz.

1. Kurdish-English Code-
Switching in
Prepared by
Ismail Abdulrahman Perdawdy,
MA in English Language &Linguistics, Lecturer
Department of Translation Techniques,
Erbil Administrative Technical Institute
Erbil Polytechnic University
2017

2. In this seminar, we will
1.Introduce code-switching from Kurdish to
English and the other way around in Facebook
interactions.
2.Classify the types of code-switching.
3.Identify the functions of the phenomenon
in Facebook communication.
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook
2

3. The origin of this seminar
is a research of
mine entitled
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook
Published in Zanco Journal in 2015.
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 3

4. What are code and code-switching?
Code in Sociolinguistics has been defined as neutral
term to refer to any system of communication
involving language.
It can be used instead to avoid terminologies such
as
1. Variety:
2. Dialect
3. Style
4. Pidgin
5. Creole:
6. Standard Language: Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 4
= Code

5. So, what is
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 5
-

6. Code-switching is a change by a [bilingual
or multilingual] speaker (or writer) from
one language or a language variety to
another.
Code-switching can take place in a
conversation when one speaker uses one
language and the other speaker answers in a
different language. A bilingual person may
start speaking one language and then switch
(i.e., change) to another in the middle of
their speech, or sometimes even in the
middle of a sentence when writing.
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 6

7. Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 7

8. About Facebook
A free social networking
founded in 2004
By a Harvard student called Mark Zukerberg
Having many options:
Everybody elder than 13 years can have a Facebook account!
making friends
Posting & Comments, etc.
Facebook had 1.3 billion monthly active users in 2014;
but now this figure has become 2.7 billion
On Facebook “friends” can communicate:
synchronously
asynchronously (CMC)Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 8

9. People are addicted to
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 9

10. Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 10

11. For our study
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 11
• 86 posts and 688 Comments
• During 12 months: 01-01-2014/31-12-2014
• 6 Facebook accounts: 2 BA, 2 MA and 2
PHD Holders
• The facebook users were the following:

12. Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 12
BA
holders

13. Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 13
MA
holders

14. Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 14
PhD
holders

15. Types of Code-
Switching
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 15

16. Structural Types of Code-Switching
Types of Code-
Switching
1.Intra-sentential
2. Inter-sentential
3. Tag
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 16

17. Intra-sentential
‫ئةمة‬good‫ة‬good.
«‫باش‬ ،‫باشة‬ ‫ئةمة‬»”This is good”
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 17

18. Inter-sentential
A: The news said that 10
people died in a car
accident this afternoon!
B: ‫وهللا؟‬!
A: َ‫ي‬‫ئةر‬،‫وهللا‬‫ة‬‫ز‬‫تا‬َ‫و‬‫ودا‬‫و‬‫ر‬‫ي‬ ‫باس‬‫كرد‬!
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 18

19. Tag
A:Walla agar paray py xasar kam brw aw
hazar dinar wa7daya bnera bu kanaly
speda bbeta zhama xwardny bu aw awara
nagbatana lawa bashtr nya bu shty wak
arab tara....! Dont u agree dear friend.
B: Well, Basaraky rasta! Basaraky na!
A: OK, Supas
B: Sarchawnm!
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 19

20. Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 20

21. Functions of
Code-Switching
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 21
Why do bilinguals code-switch?

22. John Joseph Gumperz (1922-2013)
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 22

23. Gumperz’s Six Functions of code-switching
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 23
A. Quotation
B. Addressee Specification
C. Interjection
D. Reiteration
E. Message Qualification
F. Personalization vs. Objectivization.

24. A. Quotation
‫نووسینێکی‬‫تر‬‫کە‬‫زۆر‬‫سەرنجی‬‫ڕاکێشام‬‫لەبارەی‬‫نووسەری‬
‫مەزنی‬‫ئینگلیز‬"‫شەیکسپیر‬"‫ووتەیەکی‬"‫گۆتە‬"‫بوو‬‫لەبارەی‬‫ئ‬‫ەو‬
‫نووسەرەوە؛‬"‫گۆتە‬"‫بە‬‫هەموو‬‫مەزنیی‬‫و‬‫بلیمەتیی‬‫خۆیەوە‬(‫کە‬
‫ئەڵمان‬‫و‬‫هەموو‬‫ئەوروپا‬‫شانازیی‬‫پێوە‬‫دەکەن‬)‫لەبارەی‬
‫شەیکسپیرەوە‬‫دەڵێت‬:
The first page of his I read put me in his debt for
a lifetime !‫واتە‬:‫یەکەم‬‫الپەڕەی‬‫ئەو‬(‫شەیکسپیر‬)‫کە‬
،‫خوێندمەوە‬‫خستمیە‬‫ژێر‬‫باری‬‫قەرزێکەوە‬‫کە‬‫تاهەتایە‬‫پێم‬
‫نەدرێتەوە‬(‫تا‬‫ژیانم‬‫هەیە‬‫نەتوانم‬‫بیدەمەوە‬!)
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 24

25. C. Interjection
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 25
dasxosh, Excellent job, but
dlnyam Mr. Senior wa
dazane mnafasay aw
dakay, lawanasha
mnafasay aw bkay hhh

26. B. Addressee Specification
A: ‫دەمێکە‬‫و‬ ‫زاراوە‬ ‫هەندێ‬ ‫بەکارهێنانی‬ ‫لە‬ ‫سەرنج‬‫دەدەم‬ ‫دەستەواژە‬‫لە‬ ‫کە‬
‫بەکاردەهێنرێن‬ ‫خۆمان‬ ‫کوردستانی‬ ‫ڕاگەیاندنەکانی‬ ‫دەزگا‬(‫بیست‬ ‫و‬ ‫بینراو‬‫راو‬
‫خوێنراو‬ ‫و‬)‫و‬ ‫نامۆ‬ ‫بەالمەوە‬ ‫زۆر‬‫نەخوازراون‬ […] "‫نەوت‬ ‫ناردنی‬"‫کە‬
‫لە‬ ‫کوردییترە‬ ‫زۆر‬"‫هەناردەکردن‬"‫نەوت‬ ‫ی‬!‫ئێوە‬ ‫ڕای‬ ‫نازانم‬‫چیە؟‬
B: Dr Hoshang Farooq I am actually in line with your
suggestion. It is really interesting how lexical varieties
within the same language could substitute each other.
Remarkable enough in this case is the fact that usually
language users tend to simplify communication, but here
it is actually being more complicated!!
A: Absolutely true Dr Rashwan Galaly. Language tends to
economize always (Principle of economy) unless the
humans want otherwise! Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 26

27. C. Reiteration
A: ‫گیراوه‬ ‫مانگ‬ ‫ر‬‫سە‬ ‫لە‬ ‫وی‬‫زه‬ ‫ی‬‫وێنە‬
‫بە‬‫زگای‬‫ده‬ ‫كامیرای‬‫ناسا‬
B: barasty sarsurhenara. it is really amazing
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 27

28. D. Message Qualification
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 28
A: bas mamosta denyakani xoman
amny kwshtya wachy … xafatakash
awaya zorbay xalky ba kaml
qana3atawa bawryan peya
B: meshky safi xot baw shatana mashxul
maka, awana sar la xalk
dashewenn, wazyan le bena. Grngy
ba karakani xot bda, Speed Age.
Seize your time.

29. E. Personalization vs. Objectivization
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 29
A: I really wonder how I can change the
mentality of our people! I wish I could
improve their way of thinking ONLY A
LITTLE. If I could do that, I swear to God
that I wouldn't have ANY EXCUSE to die
as soon as possible!
B: bram chi aybeti! lo daygori?!
A: Hhhhhh. Kak B walla wabzanm to zor la
wshay "goran" trsawit. Nahaqt nia bram.
Awanay basi goranyan dakrd nmunayaki
bashyan pishani xallk nada, boya janabisht
aw hastat bo drust bwa ka awa la
mawzu3i goran u sht bprsit u btrsit!

30. One More Example about it
A: ‫ئەو‬‫سكرینشۆتەم‬‫لە‬‫سایتی‬‫خەندان‬‫گرت‬.‫لەو‬‫بەشەیدا‬‫ئەوەت‬
‫پێشان‬‫دەدا‬‫كە‬‫لە‬‫ماوەی‬24،‫سەعات‬‫یەك‬،‫هەفتە‬‫یەك‬،‫مانگ‬
‫چ‬‫خەبەرێك‬‫زیاتر‬‫خوێندراوەتەوە‬.‫ئەوەی‬‫دیارە‬‫ئەو‬
‫خەبەرانەی‬‫خەندانن‬‫كە‬‫لە‬‫ماوەی‬‫یەك‬‫مانگدا‬‫لە‬‫هەموو‬‫ئەوانی‬
‫دی‬‫زیاتر‬‫خوێندراونەتەوە‬.‫تێبینی‬‫هیچ‬‫نەمەتەك‬‫دەكەن‬‫لە‬
‫خەبەرەكان‬‫؟‬
B: A research could be conducted on this picture, in
terms of frequency of the terrible news of the so
called 'Kurdish Media' (chart)
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 30

31. Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 31

32. I concluded that these 6 are not
enough. We have further functions:
1. Summarization
2. Satisfying linguistic deficiency and
borrowing
3. Expressing taboo words and
abbreviations
4. Teaching Translation
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 32

33. 1. Summarization
meshky safi xot baw shatana
mashxul maka, awana sar la xalk
dashewenn, wazyan le bena. Grngy
ba karakani xot bda, Speed Age.
Seize your time.
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 33

34. 2. Satisfying linguistic deficiency
and borrowing
‫پێزانین‬ ‫و‬ ‫سوپاس‬
‫هاوڕێیانم‬ ‫گشت‬ ‫بۆ‬
،‫كانم‬‫فانە‬
‫جوانم‬ ‫وه‬‫ئێوه‬ ‫بە‬ ‫منیش‬
،‫كانتان‬‫الیكە‬
‫كانم‬‫پۆستە‬ ‫كا‬‫ده‬ ‫جوانتر‬
،‫كۆمێنتیشتان‬
‫گیانم‬ ‫و‬ ‫دڵ‬ ‫وه‬‫شواتە‬‫ده‬
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 34
‫ستی‬‫ده‬ ‫خۆشمان‬ ‫ی‬‫یسبووكە‬‫فە‬ ‫و‬‫ئە‬
‫ناخۆشە‬ ‫زعە‬‫وه‬ ‫م‬‫لە‬ ‫یە‬‫هە‬... ‫خانی‬‫دیوه‬ ‫لە‬(‫ئاغا‬ ‫یسبووك‬‫فە‬)‫دابڕاوم‬

35. 3. Expressing taboo words and
abbreviations
1. WTF? (What the fuck?)
2. Shit
3. Fuck
4. LOL
5. Me2
6. Nice pic.
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 35

36. 4. Teaching Translation
A ‫بۆ‬‫رگێڕان‬‫وه‬:
Your heart knows things that your
mind can't explain.
B: ‫ئةوشتانةى‬‫رونى‬ ‫ناتوانى‬ ‫میشك‬ ‫دةیزاني‬ ‫دل‬
‫بكاتةوة‬
Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 36

37. Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 37
The End

38. Kurdish-English Code-Switching in Facebook 38
Thank you very
much for your
presence
‫بؤ‬ ‫سوثاس‬‫ر‬‫ؤ‬‫ز‬
‫نتان‬‫و‬‫ئامادةبو‬

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