An assessment of the functions of code-switching and code-mixing in Radio and YouTube commercials

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.57040/xjtwqv56

Keywords:

Bi/Multilingualism, Code-mixing, Code-switching, Commercials, Functions

Abstract

The mixture of codes in advertisements is a linguistic practice done by advertisers to perform some socially motivated functions geared towards ensuring an effective dissemination of intended information about advertised products and services. The objective of this study is to interpret the functions of the code-switched expressions in the selected advertisement jingles. The primary source of data was drawn from 60 code-switched advertisement jingles collected from 30 radio commercials and 30 online advertisements on YouTube. The result showed that the 6 functions of code-switching by Appel and Muysken (2006) were performed which include Referential, Directive, Expressive, Phatic, Metalinguistic and Poetic Functions. Also, two other functions called Maintenance and Elaborative Functions were discovered in the study. All these functions enhanced the listeners’ acceptability, understanding and positive disposal towards the products and services. It is recommended that advertisers employ code-switching and code-mixing in different advertising engagements so as to explore different functions that they can perform and ultimately guarantee a very successful transfer of information about products and services to the members of the society.

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Author Biographies

  • Mary Temiloluwa Oso, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

    Dr. (Mrs) M.T. Oso obtained her B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in English Language from the Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. She is a promising scholar of English Language who has a penchant for rigorous scholarly research which possesses thematic originality, innovative stance and serve as immense contribution to the field of Applied Linguistics, Sociolinguistics and English Grammar. She works as an astute English tutor and has published some articles both in the field of Applied Linguistics and Sociolinguistics which is her area of interest.

     

  • Emmanuel Taiwo Babalola, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

    Prof. E. T. Babalola is a distinguished Professor of English and presently the Head of Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. He is an astute educator to the core having supervised many Masters and doctoral students to success. Widely travelled and highly cerebral, his academic publications have appeared in reputable journals in various countries of the world. His area of interest are English Grammar, Sociolinguistics and Contemporary English Usage.

  • Moses Chika Christian-Achinihu, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

    Dr. Moses Chika. Christian-Achinihu is an Assistant Professor at the Department of English and Literature, and also doubles as Interim Director of Academic Registry at American University University of Nigeria, Yola. He is a researcher with an interest in the application of Systemic Functional Linguistics, (Critical) Discourse Analysis and Multimodal theories to interrogate an array of linguistics intersections: language in/of new media, digital practices and civic engagement; linguistics as/in social action/ digital activism; language and social crises; language and health discourse and corpus-based/ computational linguistics.

  • Basheerat Damilola Jimoh, American University, Yola, Nigeria

    Mrs. Basheerat Damilola Jimoh is currently a doctoral student in the Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife where she also tutors the Use of English. she obtained her B.A (Ed.) and M.A. degrees in the same institution. She also teaches English as a subject in secondary schools and as a second language to undergraduates. Her research interests is in Phonetics and Phonology of English as a second language (ESL) with focus on Nigerian English Pronunciation Pattens. She is also interested in Applied Linguistics, Sociolinguistics and English Pedagogy.

     

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Published

2025-10-07

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 3 (2025)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Mary Temiloluwa Oso, Emmanuel Taiwo Babalola, Moses Chika Christian-Achinihu, Basheerat Damilola Jimoh

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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