Code-switching and code-mixing in Internet chatting: between 'yes', 'ya', and 'si'-a case study

This case study examined the occurrences of code-switching and code-mixing in a chatroom based environment. In Fall 2004, the chat room conversations of 12 non-native speakers of English from Spanish and Indonesian backgrounds were collected during a two month period and analyzed to identify: 1) frequency of code-switching and code-mixing for both cultures; 2) topics that triggered code-switching and code-mixing in each culture; and 3) topics common to both cultures and topics less likely to occur within both cultures. The findings suggest that technology-related terms, along with introductory terms, triggered more instances of code-switching and code-mixing regardless of the linguistic background of the participants. Conclusions and suggestions for further research are provided.