THE USE OF CODE-MIXING IN GITA SAVITRI’S PODCAST

Nailla Shahifah Rahmadyva Kushariputri

Sekolah Tinggi Bahasa Asing JIA,

Jl. Cut Mutia No.16A, RT.001/RW.011, Margahayu, Kec. Bekasi Timur, Kota Bekasi,
Jawa Barat 17113

naillashahifah@gmail.com

As human beings, communication is basic and very important. Between human

beings, communication is one of the indicators needed to maintain a relationship. The
meaning of communication itself is a process by which a person or people, a group of
people, an organization, or a society process and use information to interact with the
environment and other people. Therefore, to have an effective communication is based on
how people express their thoughts and means using language.

Some people may use one language to convey their thoughts, but that doesn’t mean
all of people can only use one language to communicate. People with ability to use more
than one language tend to mix the languages they are speaking in a conversation. The
mixing language is usually used when people can understand both languages. The mixing
can be in a form of word, phrase or even in a grammatical structure of the languages.
This phenomenon is called Code-Mixing.

A lot of experts also explain about this code-mixing phenomenon. For example,
Muysken (2000: 1) states that code-mixing is a phenomenon where the grammatical or
lexical elements of two languages are contained in one sentence. Holmes (2013: 33) also
states that code-mixing means using two languages in a speaking. Another explanation is
by Wardhaugh and Fuller (2015: 85-86), he states that code-mixing is replacing between
two distinct languages of one language.

Muysken (2000: 3) categorizes code-mixing into three types (insertion, alternation,

congruent lexicalization). These three types of code-mixing are differentiated by the

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lexical items from another language that is used, the structure of the sentence, and the
familiarity of the lexical borrowed.

1. Insertion

Insertion by Muysken (2000: 3) means inserting or putting a lexical item or phrase

elements from one language into another language’s structure.

2. Alternation

Alternation occurs between structures from languages, combining two language

structures or putting two language clauses in one speaking (Muysen, 2000: 3).

3. Congruent Lexicalization

Muysken (2000: 3), congruent lexicalization refers to a situation where two languages
have the same grammatical structure that can be filled lexically with elements from both
languages where elements of both languages are common to people who use the first
language.

There are times when people using code-mixing for an even more effective
communication with others. People with this code-mixing ability tend to use both
language that they are mastered based on their comfort or because they simply don’t
know how to express the term in only one language. Therefore, some people use code-
mixing to make a comfortable and a more effective communication.

As has been said before, people can or may have an ability to speak or use more than
one language in their life. Those kinds of people are called bilingual or multilingual. The
concept of bilingual is referring to the people who can speak two languages, and the
multilingual is to the people who can speak more than two languages in their life. The
ability to speak more than one language can be achieved usually by studying. How
people achieved this ability by studying is by looking at the effect of their environment to
their language and speaking means that society is one of the essential factors which
effects language.

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 The study between society and language is sociolinguistics. Sociolinguistics’ term
itself is from sociology and linguistics field. Holmes (2013: 1) states that the correlation
between language and society and how the differences in language use correspond to its
social function are contained in sociolinguistics. Meyerhoff (2011: 1) also she states her
opinion that sociolinguistics also concerns how language is used differently according to
where the individual is in the region (region or city). In short, sociolinguistics helps
people to communicate in society using the right choice of language, variety of language
or language style.

As a means of communication, language has a very important role in the social

environment because language is a tool for everyone to convey their feelings, thoughts,
and desires. Everyone needs to master at least one language in order to maintain
communication and socialize with others. According to Wardhaugh (2015: 1), language
works as a channel for social functions for the daily lives, how people talk casually, or
how people can understand the norms that need to be obeyed in the surrounding
environment. Proper use of language can be found in social media, for example podcast
videos in Youtube.

Podcast is in the form of a digital series audio or video file with episodes that users
can download to their personal devices to listen to when they want. Through podcast,
users can download and listen to people having a conversation with a specific topic in
every episode whenever the time they choose or a long talk from one person. Some of the
speakers in podcasts also use code-mixing because they are bilingual or multilingual, for
example Gita Savitri.

The author used Gita Savitri’s podcast because she is known by her intelligence and
her critical thinking about so many issues that are happening in this life and with that, she
shares her thoughts and her knowledge through her own podcast series called “Beropini”.
She is one of the popular Indonesian Youtubers and she also tends to use the code-mixing
in her daily life, including in her Youtube videos. This research hoping to solve these
problems: 1) What types of code-mixing are used in Gita Savitri’s podcast? 2) Are all the
three types of code-mixing used in the podcast? 3) Which type is dominantly used in the
podcast?

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Data 1

“mereka dianggap lebih pinter, terus dianggap punya personality yang lebih
bagus, dianggap lebih capable”

Insertion Code-Mixing is found in the form of word and phrase of one language
sneaked in into another language in the one language sentence structure. Insertion Code-
Mixing is found in the podcast, which is the data above. This data is in the form of word.
Words “personality” and “capable” which are English are inserted into the Indonesian
language structure by the speaker. In the sentence above, Gita explains that physically
attractive people are usually seen and considered smarter, have a better personality, and
more capable in doing anything than those who are less attractive.

Data 2

“jadi orang yang cakep itu enak, terus hidupnya tuh gampang, masalah
berkurang, terus everything seems so easy for them”

Alternation Code-Mixing is found in the form of combining two language structures

in a sentence. Alternation Code-Mixing is the one mixing clauses from two different
language in one sentence. In the sentence above, the Indonesian clause “jadi orang yang
cakep itu enak, terus hidupnya tuh gampang, masalah berkurang, terus“ is then
continued with the English clause “everything seems so easy for them”. Alternation
Code-Mixing here is combining two different language clauses in one sentence. Gita tries
to explain how society sees physically attractive people having easier life than others.

Data 3

“karena gua perhatiin belakangan kemarin soal beauty privilege itu emang lagi
mainstream”

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 Congruent Lexicalization Code-Mixing is basically using word or phrase of foreign
language and put them in to the first language sentence structure. The difference between
Congruent Lexicalization and Insertion is that Congruent Lexicalization uses foreign
word or phrase which is common and usual by the people of the first language. It means
to say that it is a congruent lexicalization, the people in the first language speaking have
to be familiar with the foreign word or phrase which is used.

Congruent Lexicalization is found used within the sentence above. The word
“mainstream” in English means “sudah biasa” in Indonesia but, the English one is
mostly used by Indonesian people and it is also generally known by the public. Therefore,
“mainstream” is indeed common to Indonesian people. Gita express her thought about
how beauty privilege is already a common issue which is being talked about in society
nowadays.

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CONCLUSION

1. Code-Mixing types that are used in the podcast are all types. That includes
Insertion, Alternation, and Congruent Lexicalization. However, the frequency of
how often the speaker of the podcast uses the Code-Mixing types is different for
each type.
2. Three types of Code-Mixing (Insertion, Alternation, Congruent Lexicalization)
are indeed used in the podcast. Gita as the speaker in the podcast is a bilingual
who uses Code-Mixing system often. Mostly, she uses the Insertion and
Alternation Code-Mixing.
3. Insertion type of Code-Mixing is the dominantly used type in the podcast.
Alternation is rather found sometimes too, but not as dominant as Insertion.
Meanwhile, the Congruent Lexicalization is only found one time in the podcast. It
is rather infrequent to be used in the podcast.

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APPENDIX

No Data Source Note

1. soal beauty privilege itu emang lagi mainstream Congruent lexicalization
2. orang yang cakep itu enak, terus hidupnya tuh Alternation
gampang, masalah berkurang, terus everything
seems so easy for them
3. di dalam suatu masyarakat itu pasti kan ada Insertion
namanya inequality atau ketidaksetaraan
4. privilege yang paling sering kita denger yaitu Insertion
adalah male privilege, white privilege
5. …lebih aware nih soal ketimpangan tersebut Insertion
6. trus orang yang queer atau non-binary akan Insertion
lebih aware soal gender dan seksual
orientasinya dia
7. well it's not right but it makes total sense karena Alternation
mostly kalo lu berada di atas, you're privileged
enough, you don't want to give up your power
8. apasih sebenarnya hubungan antara privilege Insertion
atau unearned benefits dengan attractiveness,
…
9. manusia itu lebih prefer orang yang cakep Insertion

10. …yang dianggap attractive itu biasanya Insertion

memang adalah pertanda…
11. rahangnya sama dagunya itu chiseled gitu kan Insertion
trus brow bones nya divine
12. biasanya punya feature yang kita anggap Insertion
atraktif
13. …dianggap punya personality yang lebih bagus, Insertion
dianggap lebih capable
14. orang cakep itu biasanya punya self-confidence Insertion

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 yang lebih tinggi
15. bahkan attractive bias ini di legal system gitu Insertion

16. orang yang less attractive mendapatkan Insertion

hukuman yang biasanya lebih lama
17. …berpengaruh ke overwhelmingnya dia Insertion

18. dia intertwine sama isu isu lain Insertion

19. bener bener apparent ya kalo masalahnya itu Insertion

dari colorism
20. kaya negara negara di east asia gitu Insertion

21. ada juga yang akarnya udah purely racism dan Insertion
white supremacy
22. …yang tubuhnya sempurna itu lebih diconsider Insertion
cantik atau ganteng
23. dianggap dia gabisa fuctioning secara normal Insertion
seperti orang orang lain
24. yang dia itu pingin ngasih positive message Insertion
tentang badannya dia
25. dia pingin punya positive body image gitu kan Insertion

26. misalnya dia belum going through the hormon Alternation

stuff gitu kan
27. kita selalu ngasih stigma atau even demonizing Alternation, insertion
aging process dan sides of aging gitu kan
28. …mulai muncul keriput atau kulitnya sagging Insertion
atau kendor
29. …biasanya dia ga sadar dia punya so they don't Alternation
wanna talk about it gitu
30. it's not as blatant as male privilege or white Insertion
privilege gitu kan

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 31. kalo ngomongin soal fisik itu agak agak Insertion
awkward
32. si individu ini hidupnya akan straight up enak Insertion
terus
33. laki laki lebih ada di atas so the male privilege Alternation
place a huge role in his over experiences
34. perempuan lebih sering dijudge penampilannya Insertion

35. dibandingin sama white guy yang mukanya Insertion

biasa aja
36. nah mostly yang dapet privilege tetep si white Insertion
guy
37. …orangnya yang physically attractive ini Insertion

38. dia akan constantly dihantui narasi... Insertion

39. makanya akan susah untuk beberapan Insertion

perempuan melihat beyond her appearance
40. dia jadi shallow, trus akhirnya in general Insertion
perempuan jadi lebih kritis…
41. perempuan cantik terutama akan dianggap Alternation
bahwa they got nothing to offer except for
their pretty faces
42. perempuan yang attractive yang bekerja di Insertion
male-dominated industry mereka biasanya tu…
43. dia harus effort nih untuk ngebuktiin kalo dia Insertion
punya otak

REFERENCES

Gita Savitri Devi Beropini eps. 69: Beauty Privilege: Jadi Orang Cakep Lebih Enak

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Holmes, J., & Wilson, N. (2013). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics (4th Edi).

Meyerhoff, M. (2011). Introducing sociolinguistics. Routledge.

Muysken, P., & Muysken, P. C. (2000). Bilingual speech: A typology of code-mixing.

Cambridge University Press.

Wardbaugh, Ronald and Fuller, Janet M. (2015). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics

7th Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. United Kingdom.

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