Code Switching in Communication Efficiency: Text Message vs. Instant Message
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Code Switching in Communication Efficiency: Text Message vs. Instant Message
Andhina Patriana
The use of cellular phone that has spread widely in the last ten years can’t be separated from Short Message Service (SMS) feature. Ever since the first text message sent for the first time in 1992, it has not experienced major changes; it still applies a 160-character limit. Cellular phone development itself has grown vast. Most of the cellular brands come up with the new model called smart phones which enable us to send messages not only through SMS feature but also through Instant Messaging services. This empirical study observed the differences of texting behavior by Indonesian Speakers of English during texting through SMS and IM service using descriptive qualitative design. The data were 100 text messages and 100 instant messages sent by the participants to the researcher within two weeks. The results of this study showed that both in text messages and instant messages texters switched their language mainly in order to increase communication efficiency and due to prestige or diglossic situation, where they strongly belief that English is better than Indonesian.
INTRODUCTION
Ever since the first text message was sent in 1992 and publicly used in 1994, SMS has become a popular means of communication among people all over the world because it is inexpensive and it affords the users (texters) to be able to keep in touch with their long-distance friends, relatives or families. Studies on people’s behavior during texting have been done widely all over the world (Deumert & Masinyana, 2008; Benitez, 2009; Bautista, 2004; Apriana, 2006) mainly because texting itself is an interesting activity for texters are (forced) to express their primary functional orientation in 160 characters—or they have to pay more. The 160-character limit on text messages encourages texters to be more creative, and it leads them to use shortenings and other variations of language such as...
Andhina Patriana
The use of cellular phone that has spread widely in the last ten years can’t be separated from Short Message Service (SMS) feature. Ever since the first text message sent for the first time in 1992, it has not experienced major changes; it still applies a 160-character limit. Cellular phone development itself has grown vast. Most of the cellular brands come up with the new model called smart phones which enable us to send messages not only through SMS feature but also through Instant Messaging services. This empirical study observed the differences of texting behavior by Indonesian Speakers of English during texting through SMS and IM service using descriptive qualitative design. The data were 100 text messages and 100 instant messages sent by the participants to the researcher within two weeks. The results of this study showed that both in text messages and instant messages texters switched their language mainly in order to increase communication efficiency and due to prestige or diglossic situation, where they strongly belief that English is better than Indonesian.
INTRODUCTION
Ever since the first text message was sent in 1992 and publicly used in 1994, SMS has become a popular means of communication among people all over the world because it is inexpensive and it affords the users (texters) to be able to keep in touch with their long-distance friends, relatives or families. Studies on people’s behavior during texting have been done widely all over the world (Deumert & Masinyana, 2008; Benitez, 2009; Bautista, 2004; Apriana, 2006) mainly because texting itself is an interesting activity for texters are (forced) to express their primary functional orientation in 160 characters—or they have to pay more. The 160-character limit on text messages encourages texters to be more creative, and it leads them to use shortenings and other variations of language such as...