SOCIOLINGUISTICS IN THE DIGITAL ERA: CODE MIXING USED BY STUDENTS-LECTURER IN MOBILE MESSAGING CONVERSATIONS

Abstract

This study investigated how language was used in digital communication between students and their lecturer in an academic setting based on sociolinguistic perspective. The research focused on conversations among students in the Indonesian Language Education program at Dwijendra University. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed to explore the linguistic patterns present in interactions between students-lecture interaction. The data were collected from conversations via WhatsApp. Afterwards, the analysis cantered on identifying and categorizing instances of code mixing based on their types and frequencies. The findings indicated that code mixing was a prominent feature in the students’ digital communication. The findings revealed that insertion was the most type that frequently used, accounting for 85% of occurrences, followed by congruent lexicalization at 15%, while alternation was not found in the collected data. Some of the insertions found in this study include; submit, link, itinerary, Mr., guys and other. Additionally, the presence of Balinese elements, such as nggih, demonstrated the influence of local linguistic norms in formal interactions. The finding revealed students frequently mixed Indonesian language with Balinese and English during their conversations in WhatsApp. These linguistic shifts highlight the dynamic nature of language use in digital communication underscore the role of code-mixing as a means of interaction in a multilingual context.