Syntactic Categories, Types, and Functions of Code-Switching in the Talk Show “Let’s Pray Pilipinas”

This study investigated the code-switching behavior of the hosts, guests, and callers of the talk show Let’s Pray Pilipinas of Hope Channel Southern Philippines. The study examined the syntactic categories of code-switched words, phrases and clauses, and the functions and types of code-switching that occurred on the said talk show. Based mainly on the theories and research studies of Poplack (1980), Gumperz (1982), Hoffman (1991), and Hamouda (2015), the study analyzed the qualitative data through content analysis. After transcribing the select three episodes (from September to October 2018) using the Jefferson Notation, the research found that interjections were the most code-switched syntactic category followed by single nouns, conjunctions, and independent clauses. On the other hand, the study revealed that intra-sentential was the most common type of code-switching followed by inter-sentential and tag code-switching. The data analysis also showed that lexical need was the most dominant function of code-switching followed by emphasis, interjection, clarification, and expression of politeness. Having single nouns as the top syntactic category being code-switched and intra-sentential code-switching as the type of code-switching imply that the speakers of the talk show have a good command in Cebuano and English. Based on the two important theories considered in this study, Theory of Language Domains and Accommodation Theory, Filipinos do code- switching because of the cultural core value of ‘pakikipagkapwa’. In another viewpoint, code-switching is inevitable in cases when the conversation involves scientific and technical terms that do not have a lexical equivalent in Cebuano.

Keywords: Code-switching, syntactic categories, types of code-switching, functions of code-switching, accommodation theory, theory of language domains, talk shows, content analysis