Choosing a Code

There are several important points to discuss in this chapter: diglossia, bilingualism and multilingualism, code choice, code switching, and code mixing.  First of all, a diglossia situation is exist in a society when it has two distinct codes which show a clear functional separation.; that is, one is adopted in one set of circumstances and the other in entirely different set. A key defining characteristics of diglossia is that the two varieties kept quite apart functionally. One is used in a set of circumstances and the other in an entirely different set. For example, The H variety is the prestige variety, the L variety lacks prestige. On occasion, one may teach in an H variety but answer questions about its concerns or explain part of it in an L variety to strengthen the understanding.

The next is about bilingualism and multilingualism. When talking about these two points, it has a a relation to monolingualism. Monolingualism is the ability to use but a single language code. When it is as a widely accepted norm to the most Western countries, it is assumed that bilingual and multilingual individuals appear not ‘usual’. However, in this time, monolingual individual may be considered as lacking an important skill in society, a skill to build a free interaction with the speaker of other language.

In oppose to monolingualism, bilingualism is the ability to use two language codes.  For several bilingualism cases, it is hard to distinguish whether the people are bilingual or bi-dialectical. It is argued that the bilingual-bi-dialectical distinction that speakers make reflects social, cultural, and political aspirations or realities rather than linguistic reality. On the other side, multilingualism is a norm in the community. It results from the pattern of marriage and the living arrangements consequent to marriage. It is such a strength that, for example, can enable the speaker of various linguistic communities to maintain contact with another.

The last discussion is about code choice, code switching, and code mixing. Most speakers rarely command several varieties of any language they speak, and bilingualism, even multilingualism. People are usually forced to select a particular code whenever they choose to speak, and they may also decide to switch from one code to another to mix codes. 

Heller (1983) stated that language plays a symbolic role in our lives, and when there is choice o language, the actual choice made is important when there is a concurrent shift in the relationship between the languages. We must know the motivation of the speaker as the consideration in the choice. The code we choose to use on a particular occasion is likely to indicate how we wish to be viewed by others. If we can comfortably control the number of codes, we would seem to have a benefit over those who lack control.

Apparently, many speakers automatically use one particular variety of language rather than another even that they have switched the language (code-switched), or that they have mixed the language (code-mixed).

In code-switching, there are two kinds found: situational which occurs when the use of language change based on the situation in which the conversant find themselves; and metaphorical happens when a change of topic requires a change of language. Then, code-mixing occurs when conversant use both languages together to the extent that they change from one language to the other in the course of one single-utterance