Code-switching and identity construction in WhatsApp
Evidence from a (digital) community of practice
This paper examines how the use of WhatsApp promotes the linguistic construction of group identity and social meaning in a close-knit community of practice of six German university students. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of a private WhatsApp group chat, supported by the findings from a group-specific questionnaire, suggests that code-switching between English and German proves a powerful resource of group identity construction. The code-switches fulfil a variety of functions and are shown to be the overall unmarked choice in the group. Governed by the technical and social factors of WhatsApp as a multi-modal digital discourse mode, the CofP members draw on various verbal strategies and linguistic structures in order to negotiate social relationships and facets of group identity online.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Code-switching and group identity: Theoretical dimensions
- 2.1Major concepts and approaches to code-switching and group identity
- 2.2Social dynamics and identity in DD
- 3.WhatsApp as a socio-technical mode
- 3.1Classification of WhatsApp
- 3.1.1Medium factors
- 3.1.2Situation factors
- 3.2Data and methodology
- 4.Analysis of the WhatsApp data
- 4.1Quantitative analysis
- 4.2Qualitative analysis
- 4.2.1Discursive functions
- 4.2.2Social functions
- 5.Questionnaire results and discussion
- 6.Conclusion
-
Notes
-
References
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