The particular dialect or language that a person chooses to use on any occasion is called a code 1466 Copyright © 2023 The Author IDEAS is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 License Issued by English study program of IAIN Palopo IDEAS Journal of Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) Volume 11, Number 2, December 2023 pp. 1466 - 1478 An analysis of code mixing in Twitter used by English department students at University Cintia Pratama1, Indah Tri Purwanti2, Masyhur3 cintia.pratama4458@student.unri.ac.id1 indah.tri@lecturer.unri.ac.id2 masyhur@lecturer.unri.ac.id3 123Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, University of Riau, Riau, Indonesia Received: 2023-11-27 Accepted: 2023-11-30 DOI: 10.24256/ideas.v11i2.3677 Abstract This study aimed to identify and analyse the types and functions of code mixing used by English department students at University Riau in their Twitter accounts. Using a qualitative descriptive research design, 63 students from the classes of 2018, 2019, and 2020 were selected through purposive sampling. Data was collected through observation and documentation techniques, and analysed using Hoffmann’s (1991) and Pollack’s (1980) theories to determine the types of code mixing, and Hoffmann (1991), Saville- Troika (1986), and Holmes (2013) theories to identify the functions of code mixing. The findings showed that most students used Indonesian as the base language and frequently used intra-sentential code mixing, particularly the most basic form involving words and phrases. The function of emphasis was the most common, highlighting the need for students to be more critical in choosing appropriate vocabulary in their tweets. These findings suggest the importance of considering sociolinguistic factors in language education. Keywords: Code mixing; sociolinguistics; twitter Introduction Language is used to communicate feelings, ask for and give information (Holmes, 2013). According to Chomsky (2006), language may be anchored as a sound-dispensing http://u.lipi.go.id/1457703302 mailto:indah.tri@lecturer.unri.ac.id2 IDEAS, Vol. 11, No. 2, December 2023 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 1467 mechanism that allows people to understand the meaning of what they say in a specific way. Language and society are closely related to one another (Trudgill, 2000). Acording to Trudgill (2000), a discipline of linguistics called sociolinguistics studies language as a social and cultural phenomenon. According to Titone (2000), bilingualism is the ability to speak a second language while adhering to that language's grammar and structure as opposed to paraphrasing one's mother tongue. According to Goh and Silver (2004), multilingualism is a situation where there is more than one language in society. When choosing a language, sometimes people mix their language in speaking for a specific purpose. According to Muysken (2000), code mixing is the practice of using lexical and grammatical components from two distinct languages together in a single sentence. Meyerhoff (2006, p. 121) illustrates code mixing in Rapa Nui and Spanish. The italic words are Rapa Nui, and the underlined words are Spanish. “He kı¯ ki ta’a korohu’a he iri a pie!” (Tell the old man [grandpa] to go up by foot!) In the sentence above, we can see that the speaker mixes his language in Rapa Nui and Spanish language. This is the example of code mixing in Rapa Nui and Spanish. In Indonesia, we also find the mixes in Indonesian-English which is Bahasa Jaksel (South Jakarta language). “Bahasa Jaksel” is a trend to mix or insert English into Indonesian. This phenomenon is becoming very popular, especially among young people in Indonesia. One of the social media that is often found in the “Bahasa Jaksel” trend is Twitter. As the English department students in Universitas Riau who have the ability to master two languages (Indonesian and English), the students certainly experience the phenomenon of code mixing in Twitter. The example of the code mixing produced by an English department student at Universitas Riau is as follows: Figure 1. Tweet 1 The tweet above is an example of code mixing in Indonesian and English. In the tweet, the student inserts English words ‘drink coffee,’ ’without sugar,’ ‘but,’ and ‘I.’ The tweet's translation is, ‘I want to drink coffee again, especially without sugar. However, I still have Cintia Pratama1, Indah Tri Purwanti2, Masyhur3 An analysis of code mixing in Twitter used by English department students at University 1468 cough’. In this tweet, the tweet occurs in the form of words and phrases, and the function of code mixing in this tweet is to emphasis precise message content. Code mixing is a complex linguistic phenomenon that can vary depending on context and culture, making it an exciting area for research. This phenomenon often occurs among English department students at Universitas Riau. Therefore, the researcher is fascinated in studying what types and functions exist in code mixing in the English department students’ tweets on Twitter. Therefore, this research answered the question about the types and functions of code mixing in Twitter used by the English department students at Universitas Riau. Overall, this study is important because it sheds light on the types and functions of code mixing used by English department students on Twitter, which has implications for language education and sociolinguistics. Method This study employed a descriptive qualitative research design and was conducted from February to November 2022 in Pekanbaru. The population of the study was the English department student batch 2018, 2019, and 2020 from Universitas Riau. To find the sample, purposive sampling was used to select students who used code mixing in their tweets on Twitter. The sample consisted of 63 students, and their usernames and profile photos were censored to maintain confidentiality. Data were collected through observation and documentation techniques. The researcher used her already-existing Twitter account to collect the data. Then, the researcher asked for students’ agreement to access their Twitter. Specifically, the researcher took the screenshots of the tweets that contained code mixing by the selected students. The data was analyzed based on Hoffmann's (1991) theory, which outlines three different types of code mixing: those involving a change in pronunciation, intra-sentential code mixing, and intra-lexical code mixing. However, since Hoffmann’s theory could not encompass all findings, Poplack's (1980) theory was also used for inter-sentential code mixing type. To analyze the functions of code mixing, the researcher used Hoffmann’s (1991) theory, which includes expressing group identity or solidarity, quoting somebody else, talking about a particular topic, being emphatic about something, repetition used for clarification, interjection, and clarifying the speech content for the interlocutor. However, since Hoffmann's theory could not encompass all findings, Saville-Troike’s (1986) theory was used for the real lexical need function, and Holmes’s (2013) theory was used to analyze the function of emphasis. Results The data were collected from the tweets containing code mixing from the English IDEAS, Vol. 11, No. 2, December 2023 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 1469 department students’ Twitter accounts at Universitas Riau. The researcher found 176 tweets containing code mixing in the students’ tweets on Twitter. From 176 tweets, the researcher found 271 occurrences of code mixing. The finding of the study showed that most of the students used Indonesian as their base language. The students mixed the Indonesian with English in their tweets. Types of Code Mixing 1. Intra-sentential Code Mixing This type of code mixing is the type that takes place within a sentence, a phrase, or a clause (Hoffmann, 1991). The data can be presented as follows: Student 11 Figure 2. Tweet 2 The tweet says: masa aku harus tidur duluan terus biar bisa nyenyak tidurnya? soalnya kalo yg lain start tidur earlier akunya yg gak bisa tidur krn risih (Do I have to sleep first so I can sleep well? The problem is that if the others start sleeping earlier, I am the one who cannot sleep because it is uncomfortable) In the tweet above, the student used Indonesian as her base language. The student talked about her sleeping problem. The student added some English words into Indonesian sentences. The words are ‘start’ and ‘earlier’. From this tweet, it can be seen that the mixing is in the form of words, therefore it is categorized as intra-sentential code mixing. 2. Intra-lexical code mixing This type is the mixing which takes place within a word boundary (Hoffmann, 1991). Prefixes and suffixes were included in the data since affixation was employed by the research samples to create the tweets. The data can be presented as follows: Student 50 Cintia Pratama1, Indah Tri Purwanti2, Masyhur3 An analysis of code mixing in Twitter used by English department students at University 1470 Figure 3. Tweet 3 The tweet says: Infonya ntar difollow-up lagi ya! (The information will be followed up again!) In the tweet above, the student used Indonesian as her base language. The student talked about the information that will be followed up. The student added an Indonesian affixation ‘di’ to an English word ‘follow-up’. The structure is ‘di’ as a prefix and ‘follow up’ as a word. ‘Di-follow-up’ becomes intra-lexical code mixing. In Indonesian, ‘difollow-up’ means ‘ditindak lanjuti’. Based on an Indonesian dictionary, ‘tindak lanjut’ means ‘langkah selanjutnya’. If there is the prefix ‘di’ in an Indonesian word, the verb after this prefix is a passive voice. Consequently, ‘difollow up’ means ‘be followed up’. Therefore, this tweet can be classified as intra-lexical code mixing. 3. Inter-sentential Code Mixing This type of code mixing is the mixing that takes place at the boundary of a clause or sentence (Poplack, 1980). The data can be presented as follows: Student 50 Figure 4. Tweet 4 The tweet says: Hidupmu sebaik pola pikirmu, your life is as good as your mindset. (Your life is as good as your mindset.) In the text above, the student started her statement in English. Then, she added an English sentence to the Indonesian sentence. An English sentence is, ‘your life is as good as your mindset.’ The mixing occurs in the form of a sentence. Hence, this mixing is classified as inter-sentential code-mixing type. Table 1. The Occurrences of the Types of Code Mixing Types of Code Mixing Total Percentage Intra-sentential code mixing 227 83,76% Intra-lexical code mixing 32 11,80% Inter-sentential code mixing 12 4,42% Total 271 occurrences IDEAS, Vol. 11, No. 2, December 2023 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 1471 Table 1. reveals that the highest type used by the English department students is intra- sentential code mixing. It can be concluded that the students more often mix their language in the easiest type of code mixing, which is in the form of words and phrases. Table 2. The Occurrences of the Language Mixing Code Mixing Total Percentage Indonesian to English 134 occurrences 76,13% English to Indonesian 42 occurrences 23,86% Total 176 occurrences Table 2. shows that the students mainly mix their language in their tweets from Indonesian to English. It can be concluded that the students more often use Indonesian as their base language and mix the language to English. Functions of Code Mixing 1. Being Emphatic About Something This function is used when someone mixes a language other than their mother tongue into another language for the sake of being emphatic about something (Hoffmann, 1991). The data can be presented as follows: Student 63 Figure 5. Tweet 5 The tweet says: Buat korban perudungan disekolah ataupun dimanapun itu I feel you. I know it’s hard to speak up tapi kalian harus ttp berani menyuarakan kebenaran. (For the victims of bullying at school or anywhere else, I feel you. I know it's hard to speak up but you have to be brave enough to speak the truth.) In this tweet, the student talked about her empathy for the victims of bullying. The student added the English clause and sentences such as 'I feel you' and 'I know it's hard to speak up' in the Indonesian sentence. 'I feel you' was an empathetic statement that showed this student understood what the victim of bullying felt. Then, she added, 'I know it's hard to speak up,' which is an additional statement of empathy aimed at encouraging victims of Cintia Pratama1, Indah Tri Purwanti2, Masyhur3 An analysis of code mixing in Twitter used by English department students at University 1472 bullying to be more courageous. The statements can be categorized as the functions of being emphatic about something. 2. Interjection Code mixing between bilingual or multilingual people can sometimes mark the exclamation point or sentence connector (Hoffmann, 1991). The data can be presented as follows: Student 42 Figure 6. Tweet 6 The tweet says: Katanya lagu glimpse of us bikin galau bgt, meh ngga juga menurut gw (They say that the glimpse of us song makes us very gloomy, meh I don't think so) In this tweet, it can be seen that the student added an English interjection, ‘meh,’ in an Indonesian sentence. The word ‘meh’ has no grammatical meaning. In English, ‘meh’ expresses a lack of interest or enthusiasm. In this case, the student used ‘meh’ to show his lack of interest in the song glimpse of us. The student thought that the song did not make him gloomy. So, the student added an English interjection, ‘meh.’ 3. Repetition Used for Clarification According to Hoffmann (1991), to clarify his speech so that his listeners better understand it, a bilingual sometimes uses both languages that he masters to pronounce the same utterance (the utterance spoken repeatedly). The data can be presented as follows: Student 58 Figure 7. Tweet 7 IDEAS, Vol. 11, No. 2, December 2023 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 1473 The tweet says: Nobody is perfect, gaada org yg sempurna. Jadi terimalah dan bersyukur atas apa yg kamu miliki. (Nobody is perfect. So accept and be grateful for what you have.) In this tweet, the student used an English sentence at the beginning of the sentence ‘nobody is perfect.’ Then, she added Indonesian ‘gaada org yg sempurna’ (tidak ada orang yang sempurna). It can be seen that the student repeated his sentence to clarify his statement. Because the sentence ‘nobody is perfect’ has the same meaning as ‘gaada org yg sempurna.’ This mixing can be categorized as the function of repetition used for clarification. 4. Lexical Need Code mixing occurs when people switch languages because their native tongues lack a similar lexicon (Saville-Troike, 1986). The data can be presented as follows: Student 7 Figure 8. Tweet 8 The tweet says: mau upload foto selama acara, tapi rasanya cape bgt… (I want to upload the pictures during the event, but I feel exhausted) In the tweet above, the student added the English word ‘upload’ into an Indonesian sentence. In Indonesian, ‘upload’ means ‘mengunggah’. The word ‘upload’ refers to a Twitter feature to post a picture, video, gif, or poll. In this tweet, the student said she wanted to upload the photos to her Twitter. The word ‘mengunggah’ is rarely used in Indonesian. People often use the word ‘upload’ to describe the upload feature on social media. In this case, the student used the word ‘upload’ because it was difficult for her to find the proper Indonesian term for ‘upload’, or she did not know ‘upload’ in her first language. So, this mixing can be categorized as the function of real lexical needs. 5. Emphasis Code mixing performs the function of emphasis the precise message content (Holmes, 2013). The data can be presented as follows: Student 13 Cintia Pratama1, Indah Tri Purwanti2, Masyhur3 An analysis of code mixing in Twitter used by English department students at University 1474 Figure 9. Tweet 9 The tweet says: 9,5/10. salah satu drakor yang aku bisa sabar nungguin per pekannya. buat pusing karna diajak mikir sama ceritanya. the best pokoknya mah (It is one of the Korean dramas I can patiently wait for every week. It makes me dizzy because it makes me think about the story. It is absolutely the best.) In this tweet, the student added the English phrase ‘the best’ in an Indonesian sentence. In Indonesian, ‘the best’ means ‘terbaik’. In this tweet, the student talked about her rating for a Korean drama. She said that she does not mind waiting for each episode to air because it makes her think about the story of the drama. She said this drama is the best by adding ‘the best pokoknya mah’ (it is absolutely the best). It can be seen that the mixing occurred because the student wanted to emphasis precise message content. The student emphasized the message she thinks is necessary by adding ‘the best pokoknya mah’ in the sentence. So it can be categorized as the function of emphasis precise message content. Table 3. The Occurrence of the Functions of Code Mixing Functions of code mixing Total Percentage Being emphatic about something 2 occurrences 0,73% Interjection 5 occurrences 1,84% Repetition used for clarification 6 occurrences 2,21% Because of real lexical need 101 occurrences 37,26% Emphasis 157 occurrences 57,93% TOTAL 271 occurrences From table 3, it can be seen that the students use code mixing for five functions. It can be concluded that the emphasis function is in the highest percentage compared to other functions. It can be inferred that in mixing their language in Twitter, the students mostly uses code mixing to emphasis the precise message content in their tweets. Discussion IDEAS, Vol. 11, No. 2, December 2023 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 1475 In this study, the researcher investigated the use of code mixing by English department students from three different batches (2018, 2019, and 2020). The students were found to predominantly use Indonesian as their base language and insert English words or phrases within Indonesian sentences. This finding is consistent with previous research by Novianti (2013), which showed that English was the most commonly inserted language in Indonesian tweets on Twitter. The finding of this study shows that the most frequent type made by the English department students is intra-sentential code mixing. According to Poplack (1980), since that there is a low chance of breaking grammatical rules, this code mixing is relatively easy and does not require a firm grasp of both languages. So, the English department students mostly used this type because this is the most accessible type to make. This result collaborates with Jimmi and Davistasya’s (2019) study about code mixing in WhatsApp and Twitter. Their finding showed that the most frequently forms used in WhatsApp and Twitter are words and phrases. This finding is also similar to Meliani, Ratminingsih, and Mahendrayana’s (2021) study. Their finding stated that the most frequent forms used in Twitter are words and phrases. Likewise, the findings of Hartono (2022) also showed the same thing about this in his research. Hartono’s (2022) findings focusing code mixing in Instagram showed that the most frequent forms are words and phrases. In contrast to the research described earlier, the studies of Damanik’s (2015) and Sabti, Rashid, and Turki’s (2019) showed the different results. Damanik’s (2015) results found that the most frequent type used in Twitter is intra-lexical code mixing. The finding of Sabti, Rashid, and Turki (2019) revealed Iraqi post-graduate students utilized code switching in Iraqi and English within word boundary in WhatsApp conversation. The differences in the media and subjects in these studies led to different results in the study. The second most common type found in this study is intra-lexical code mixing. This finding agrees with Masruroh and Rini’s (2021) findings focusing code mixing and code switching in drama performance; and Fatimah, Eliwarti, and Novitri’s (2021) finding focusing code mixing in Instagram. Masruroh and Rini’s (2019) findings explained that the second common type used in drama performance is intra-lexical code mixing. Similarly, Fatimah, Eliwarti, and Novitri’s (2021) findings also explained that the second common type used in Instagram is intra-lexical code mixing. Although the media and subject in the studies are different, but the results of the study showed that the second common type used is intra-lexical code mixing. The type that is rarely made by students is inter-sentential code mixing. Inter- sentential code mixing occurs in the form of clause and sentence. Poplack (1980) states that only highly fluent bilingualism employs this form of mixing, since it seems to include unique rules dictating how the syntax and morphology of the two languages may interact. Cintia Pratama1, Indah Tri Purwanti2, Masyhur3 An analysis of code mixing in Twitter used by English department students at University 1476 The finding of this study showed that this type is used by students mostly in senior semesters (2018) because it is more difficult to make compared to other types. The same as Riaz’s (2019) finding also found out that inter-sentential is the less common type in Pakistani commercial. In addition, this finding is relevant with Mwiya and Fredericks’s (2018) finding that showed inter-sentential is the least used by Namibian in Facebook. Although the media and subjects of the studies are different, the result of the study shows that people rarely make code mixing in social media in the form of clauses and sentences. The study shows that the most frequent function is emphasizing. All English department students at Universitas Riau used code mixing to emphasize precise message content. This finding supports Srivastava, Bali, and Chodury’s (2020) study, which found that code mixing has the function of emphasis precise message content on Twitter. Srivastava, Bali, and Chodury (2020) stated that code mixing could be employed to emphasize specific phrases within a sentence. In contrast to Srivastava, Bali, and Chodury (2020), Dwiyota (2018) stated that the most widely used Twitter function is expressing ideas easily. Even though the researches are the same as in Twitter, they have different subjects and theories in analyzing it, so the research finding is different. Besides emphasis, the researcher also found lexical need function. The finding of this study is similar to Novianti’s (2013) study. Novianti (2013) demonstrated that the English department student used code switching on Twitter because they lacked vocabulary. The other functions of code mixing found in this study are being emphatic about something, interjection, and repetition used for clarification. It is not relevant to Masruroh and Rini’s (2018) findings on code mixing and code switching in drama performance. They showed that the functions of code mixing in their findings are repetition, message qualification, and facilities of expression. The different subjects and theories in analyzing the data led to the different results. Conclusions This study has examined the types and functions of code mixing used by the English department students at Universitas Riau on Twitter. The analysis was conducted using Hoffmann (1991), Poplack (1980), Saville-Troike (1986), and Holmes (2013) theory. The findings indicate that intra-sentential code mixing was the most frequently used type of code mixing, followed by intra-lexical code mixing and inter-sentential code mixing. The most common function of code mixing was emphasis, followed by lexical need, being emphatic about something, interjection, and repetition for clarification. IDEAS, Vol. 11, No. 2, December 2023 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 1477 Recommendations Based on the study’s findings, it is recommended that English department students at Universitas Riau become more aware of the types and functions of code mixing used in Twitter. This knowledge can help them use code mixing more effectively and appropriately in their tweets. Furthermore, students are advised to improve their vocabulary and writing skills to minimize the need for code mixing. For future research, it is recommended that researchers investigate code mixing in other social media platforms and with different subjects. References Chomsky, N. (2006). Language and mind (Third edition). Cambridge University Press. Dwiyota, S. (2018). The use of code mixing in tweets by Kpop fans in Twitter. Lingua Litera, 3(1), 31-40. Dewi, P., & Sari, D. (2022). Perception of Digital Storytelling in Overcoming Fear for Speaking English through Interdisciplinary Project of Gender Issues. IDEAS: Journal on English Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature, 10(2), 1635 – 1642. doi:https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v10i2.2748 Fatimah, D., Eliwarti., & Novitri. (2021). An analysis of code mixing used by English department students of Universitas Riau on Instagram. JEE (Journal of English Education), 7(2), 179-195. Goh, C. C. M., & Silver, R. (2004). Language acquisition and development: A teacher's guide. Longman. Hartono, I. (2022). Code-mixing types and reasons among Instagram users. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute-Journal (BIRCI-Journal), 5(1). Hoffmann, C. (1991). An introduction to bilingualism. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Holmes, J. (2013). An introduction to sociolinguistics (Fourth edition). New York, USA: Routledge. Jimmi., & Davistasya, R. E. (2019). Code-mixing in language style of South Jakarta community Indonesia. Premise: Journal of English Education and Applied Linguistics, 8(2), 193-213. Meliani, P. E., Ratminingsih, N. M., & Mahendrayana, G. (2021). Code mixing as language style in communication through social media Twitter. Yavana Bhasha: Journal of English Language Education, 4(2), 91-101. Masruddin, M., & Nasriandi, N. (2022). Lexical and Syntactical Errors Performed by Junior High School Student in Writing Descriptive Text. IDEAS: Journal on English Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature, 10(1), 1094-1100. doi:https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v10i1.3024 Cintia Pratama1, Indah Tri Purwanti2, Masyhur3 An analysis of code mixing in Twitter used by English department students at University 1478 Meyerhoff, M. (2006). Introduction sociolinguistics. New York, USA: Routledge. Muysken, P. (2000). Bilingual speech: A typology of code-mixing. Cambridge: University Press. Mwiya, L., & Fredericks, N. (2018). Code-switching among Namibian youth on the affirmative repositioning Facebook page. NAWA Journal of Language & Communication, 12(1). Novianti, W. (2013). The use of code switching in Twitter (A case study in English education department). Passage, 1(2), 1-10. Poplack, S. 1980. Sometimes I’ll start a sentence in Spanish y termino en Espanol: toward a typology of code-switching. Linguistics. 18(7/8), 581-618. Riaz, M. (2019). Language variation: Code-mixing and code-switching in Pakistani commercials. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 15(2), 411-419. Sabti, A. A., Rashid, S. M., & Turki, H. Y. (2019). Code-switching between informal Iraqi dialect and English language among Iraqi Arab speakers via WhatsApp application: Linguistic and non-linguistic factors. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 27(2). Saville-Troike, M. (1982). The ethnography of communication: An introduction. Oxford: Blackwell. Sari, E., & Agustina, M. (2022). Thematic Development in Students’ Argumentative Essay. IDEAS: Journal on English Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature, 10(1), 166-174. doi:https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v10i1.2563 Srivastava, A., Bali, K., & Choudhury, M. (2020). Understanding script-mixing: A case study of Hindi-English bilingual Twitter users. Proceedings of the The 4th Workshop on Computational Approaches to Code Switching, 36-44. Titone, R. (2000). On the psychological meaning of bilinguality: Psychological mechanisms of the bilingual person. Actas do 5̊Congresso Internacional da Sociedade Internacional de Psicolinguística Aplicada. Porto: Faculdade de Letras de Universidade do Porto, 17-34. Trudgill, P. (2000). Sociolinguistics: An introduction to language and society. UK: Penguin.