Exploring Code Mixing used by El Barack Alexander on Jesica Iskandar YouTube

Channel: A Sociolinguistic Study

Abstract: This paper investigates El Barack Alexander's use of code mixing on Jesica Iskandar's
YouTube channel. Code-mixing is the use of two languages within a single utterance in such a
way that the conversant switch between languages. The code-mixing tendencies of El Barack are
analyzed through the sociolinguistic lens of (Musyken, 2000) classification of code-mixing and
(Suwito, 1996) theory of influencing factors. This descriptive qualitative study makes use of
spoken data and transcribed from three selected YouTube videos. The paper reveals that
insertion is the most prevalent form of code-mixing, accounting for 48%, followed by alternation
(30 percent) and congruent lexicalization (22 percent). In addition, this paper explores the factors
that influence El Barack's code mixing practices.

Keywords : Bilingualism, Code-Mixing, Sociolinguistic

Introduction
(lit review, research gap, novelty)
People have already conducted study on sociolinguistics, particularly code mixing, for theses and
journal articles in both national and international. As an illustration, taken from
(Noviasi et al., 2021)
titled "Campur Kode dalam Iklan Penawaran Barang di Forum Jual Beli Online
Facebook Kota Palangkaraya (Kajian sosiolinguistik)" based of the theory of
(Suwito, 1996)
and (Nababan, 1984) local dialects, standard Indonesian, and English are frequently used
by both buyers and sellers in the same advertisement. The following study was conducted by
(Andre, 2018)and was based on the theories of (Musyken, 2000) entitled "Bahasa Indonesia-
English Code Mixing in Composing Business Emails: Identifying the Communicative Intention"
The result, it is possible to enhance communication between the parties concerned as well as the
working relationships between businesses and clients by using mixed language codes in the
writing of business emails. If the desired communication goals are understood and correct
business email writing techniques are used, the usage of mixed language codes can be a
successful strategy for enhancing corporate productivity and efficiency. Further research is based
on the journal article "The Use of Indonesian English Code Mixing on Cinta Laura's Graduation
Interview" by (Saputro, 2022)The theory is based on (Suwito, 1996). The findings show that
Cinta Laura uses code-mixing deliberately and adaptably depending on the situation and goal of
communication. To widen the reach of language and convey her dual cultural identity, she
utilizes code-mixing (Indonesian and American). At this graduation interview, the candidate
employed code-mixing to express herself and fulfill her communication objectives.

(novelty)
The difference between this study and the studies cited is the data sources used for the research.
El Barack Alexander's videos posted to Jesica Iskandar's YouTube channel serve as the data
sources for this study. By focusing on code-switching in El Barack Alexander's speech on Jesica
Iskandar's YouTube channel, the author uses the theory of code-mixing to identify the types in El
Barack Alexander's speech based on (Musyken, 2000). Then, (Suwito, 1996) is applied to reveal
the factors that contribute to the occurrence of code-mixing in El Barack Alexander's speech.

(kenapa code mixing)

language is an indispensable tool for human communication, and its impact on society is critical.
Sociolinguistics explores the correlation between language and society and strives to
comprehend how language is used in multilingual speech communities (Wibowo, 2017) With the
rise of social media in today's digital era, the interplay between language and society has become
more interconnected than ever before. One consequence of the interaction between individuals
with different linguistic backgrounds is language contact. Language contact pertains to the
interaction between speakers of different languages that can result in the borrowing, adoption, or
shift of linguistic features.
Language contact was historically most commonly seen in face-to-face interactions
(Thomason, 2020, p. 32)
. However, in this technological age, people can communicate through various social
media platforms. For instance, watching a Japanese anime movie on a streaming platform
exposes individuals to the Japanese language, which can be seen as a type of language contact. In
various settings, speakers of different languages come into contact and interact with each other,
such as when people from different language backgrounds live in the same community, attend
the same school or workplace, or communicate through social media. This interaction can lead to
bilingualism, where individuals can speak two languages fluently. In Indonesia, it is prevalent for
people to understand foreign languages, either because they were born into a mixed-race family
or learned the language on their own. This contact with multiple languages often leads to
bilingualism, which can result in code-mixing.

Code-mixing happens when individuals frequently switch or mix between two languages,
especially when both languages are used in their daily life. (Wardaugh, 2006, p. 103) defines
code-mixing as the use of two languages in a single utterance to the extent that the conversants
switch between languages. (Musyken, 2000) explains more that code mixing is typically divided
into three main types: insertion (word or phrase), alternation (clause) and congruent
lexicalization. The occurrence of code mixing in an utterance is sometimes created based on
several factors. According to (Suwito, 1996), the motivating factor for the mixing of codes can be
divided into attitudinal type, non-linguistic type, and linguistic type. Need for Synonym, in
which speakers employ other languages to clarify the purpose of conversation, is one example of
an attitude type. Social Value, or the deliberate borrowing of words from other languages based
on societal considerations. new cultural development and introduction.
In contrast, the linguistic type includes the following:
1. Low frequency of word, which is due to the fact that words in a foreign language are simpler
to recall and have more stable meanings.
2. Pernicious Homonimy, The idea is that homonym issues, namely uncertain meaning, can arise
when a speaker uses a word from his own language.
3. Oversight, which is the restriction of the speakers' verbal output. It might be challenging for
speakers to discover parallels in their own language because so many terms in the
telecommunications industry come from other languages.
4. The outcome or desired outcome is the end (purpose and goal). Persuasion, persuasion via
evidence,

Kenapa objectnya El Barack?

In this research, the author choose El Barack Alexander as the source or object of this research.
El Barack is an Instagram artist and the son of Jessica Iskandar. Because of his parent,
educational background, and environment, El Barack Alexander frequently speaks in two
languages. Being a mixed-race child exposes him to different languages and cultures from a
young age, and attending an international school can provide a multilingual environment in
which English and Indonesian are frequently used. Furthermore, his environment and internet
exposure, such as playing video games and watching YouTube, can influence his language use
and code-mixing tendencies. All of these factors can be taken into account in the sociolinguistic
analysis of El Barack Alexander's language use. This research is interesting because, when
carefully observing his YouTube videos, the speaker frequently combines Indonesian and
English. In essence, the fact that he occasionally requires a synonym while speaking indicates
that speakers employ different languages to refine the meaning of their speech. In the video "Ini
gula pasir, sugar right?" for instance, the word "sugar" is an example of code-mixing via
alternation doubling. Alternation duplication refers to the repetition of the same meaning in
another language for the purpose of providing further clarification. In this instance, the speaker
repeats the word "gula" with the equivalent English term, "sugar." Investigating the various types
of code-mixing is an interesting idea. Consequentially, this is why researchers are eager to
investigate it. In addition, the researchers anticipate that this study will shed light on the
phenomenon of code-mixing that can occur in social settings.

Method
The type of research in this paper involves descriptive qualitative study. The author describe this
research. (Lisa Nuraeni & Zhafran Farid, 2018)in assert that qualitative data typically comprises of
spoken information then transcribed into written notes or documents in textual format. The data
for the study was collected through the transcription and analysis of El Barack alexander's
discourse in a three selected episode of the show entitled : "El Belanja Terus Ngadon Kue,
Prosesnya Melelahkan. Berhasilkah?", "Tes Matematika El Barack Jajan Ke Warung Dikasih 50
Ribu sama Vincent, Sukses Gak Ya?", and "Lomba Belanja Bebas! Jedar vs El Barack. Total
Barangnya Segini...!! ". According to (Richards, 2009), qualitative research doesn't have strict
boundaries regarding what can be deemed as data. The researchers followed of (Musyken, 2000)
classification of code mixing to determine which of type of code mixing that usually appear and
Suwito's theory of influencing factors to know the function of it.
Result and discussion

Table

No Type Of Code-Mixing Percentage

1 Insertion 48%

2 Alternation 30%

3 Congruent Lexicalization 22%

(Musyken, 2000) proposes three distinct types of code-mixing: insertion, alternation, and
congruent lexicalization. The most prevalent sort of code-mixing in terms of prevalence was
discovered to be insertion, which accounted for 48% of instances. According to research results,
alternation was the second most prevalent form, accounting for 30% of code-mixing cases,
whereas congruent lexicalization was the least prevalent, accounting for only 22% of such
instances.

Insertion
(Musyken, 2000) defines Insertion as the act of incorporating a word, phrase, or lexical item
from one language into the structural arrangement of another language. Based on the data
collected, Insertion can be exemplified by the following statement:

(1)How much mentega?

(2)Oke ini yang biru-biru gini boleh ga? Kan dark blue
(3)guys aku mau ke warung pake electric scooter dari opa
(4)Kalo berlebih aku harus minus ya?
(5) Tapi aku masih legendary
(6) One question, di mana warungnya?
(7) Yogurt itu gak banyak gula ini healthy
(8) Satu, dua, tiga, empat. Come on kak revanhe insertion of the English phrase "Come on"
(9) Candy udah, gak boleh candy lagi.
Based on the data above, the constituent of insertion are nouns, adjective, noun phrase,
interrogative phrase, and idioms.

In the data (1) the constituent How much is inserted in the first of the sentence "How much" is an
interrogative phrase, specifically an interrogative determiner.
It is used to ask about the quantity or amount of something.
The speaker uses the code-mixing insertion "How much" to clarify their question about the
amount of "mentega" (butter) required for a recipe.The speaker may have used this code-mixing
insertion because he has low frequency of word and are more familiar with the English
terminology for cooking measurements or to ensure that they are conveying their question
accurately and clearly.

In the data (2), the speaker appears to have added the noun phrase "dark blue" at the end of his
utterance. Due to a lack of Indonesian vocabulary or low frequency of word, the speaker used
code-mixing to convey the specific shade of blue they are referring to. As a result, the speaker
inserted the English phrase "dark blue" to convey the precise shade he intended.

In the data (3), the speaker used the code-mixing "guys" in an Indonesian sentence to address
the listeners. This is a common practice among Indonesian speakers, particularly younger
generations, who often use English words or phrases for addressing or greeting their peers. The
speaker might have chosen to use "guys" instead of the Indonesian equivalent "teman-teman" to
create a more informal and friendly tone in their speech.

In the data (4), the utterance "Kalo berlebih aku harus minus ya?" contains one English word,
"minus," which functions as an adjective in the middle of the sentence. Due to the difficulty in
finding an appropriate word and low frequency of word of Indonesian vocabulary, the speaker
resorts to code-mixing.

In the data (5), the speaker uses the word "legendary" as an adjective to describe themselves,
which is borrowed from the game's terminology. This is considered code-switching where the
speaker switches from one language to another to convey a specific meaning or concept that is
difficult to express in the original language (oversight).

In the data (6), the insertion of the English phrase "One question" is likely due to the speaker's
desire to indicate that they have a single question to ask. This could be a result of the influence of
English as a second language or the speaker's familiarity with English as a communication tool
or due to low frequency of word,.

In the data (7), the speaker inserts the English word "healthy" to describe the properties of a food
item, yogurt. The use of the English word "healthy" is common in Indonesian language use, and
it is generally used to describe food items that are low in sugar, fat, or calories. This thing
happen because of social Value, that is, speakers deliberately take words from other languages
by considering social factors.

In the data (8), the insertion of the English phrase "Come on" could be attributed to the speaker's
desire to add emphasis or encouragement to their speech. This insertion could also be influenced
by exposure to English media, where the phrase "Come on" is often used in movies or TV shows
to express encouragement or motivation.

Finally, in the data (9), the speaker uses code-mixing by inserting the English word "candy" in
the sentence, which means the same thing as the Indonesian word "permen." The reason for the
code mixing in this sentence may be due to a lack of vocabulary, convenience, or to express a
certain emotion or tone. In this context, the speaker might have used the English word "candy" to
create a sense of emphasis or to convey a specific emotion.

Alternation
When two languages are separated into grammatical structures that are lexically viable thanks to
components of either language, this is referred to as alternation. The structures of languages A
and B are split apart by this kind of code mixture. According to (Musyken, 2000), each language
has its own structure and appears in alternation with the other.
(11) Ini gula pasir, sugar right?
(12) How much time? Berapa? How much? how long
(13) Trust me I have, aku punya.
(14) I don't know, harus berbeda ga?
(15) No, I want to know now. Mau tau sekarang!
(16) Dua lagi okay, and you have six minutes

The utterance in the data 11 is categorized as alternation doubling. it can be seen that there is a
code mixing in the end of the utterance. Code mixing here is the English phrase "sugar right?"
which has meaning in Indonesia as "gula kan?". Due to there being a mixing of English phrases
in the Indonesian sentence, the data is classified as alternation especially doubling category.
Alternation occurs between phrases in a single sentence or a single round speech, according to
(Musyken, 2000) theory of alternation doubling means repeating the same meaning in another
language to provide additional explanation. El Barack Alexander in the utterance above talked
about the next ingredients he would put into the bowl, he repeat the word “gula pasir” with an an
English word “sugar” because he want to make sure that he is correct about the name of the
ingredients. Similar with the data (12), (13), (14), and (15) which repeat the the word with same
meaning in particular language to another language Here doubling is also one of the indicative
features of alternation.

Therefore, Flagging, on the other hand, is demonstrated in the data (16), the utterance "Dua lagi
okay, and you have six minutes." Here, the speaker switches from speaking Indonesian to
English in the same sentence. This switch is marked by the use of the word "okay," indicating
that the following clause will be in a different language. This type of alternation in discourse can
also occur between clauses or sentences, where one clause is in one language and the next clause
is in another language.

Congruent lexicalization
According to (Musyken, 2000) theory, Congruent lexicalization occurs when two languages have
a grammatical structure that can be filled with lexical elements from either language.
(17) Tapi yang dalem packaging-nya kan?
(18) Oke guys, sekarang udh di prepare-in semuanya sama kak revan sama mba rita sekarang
kita mau masak
(19) aku mau suprisei-n mamah papah bikin waffle

In the data, the data (17) phrase "dalam packaging-nya kan?" illustrates this concept as the
English word "packaging" is combined with the Indonesian suffix "-nya". This allows for the
expression of a concept that may be difficult to convey using solely Indonesian vocabulary.
Similarly, the dat (18) showcases the use of the English verb "prepare" combined with the
Indonesian suffix "-in". The speaker uses this code mixing to express the idea that everything has
been prepared by "kak revan and mba rita" in a more concise and efficient manner. This is an
example of the code mixing function as a facility of expression. In the data (19), the speaker uses
the phrase "suprise-in mamah papah bikin waffle" to convey the idea of wanting to surprise their
parents by making waffles. Again, this is an example of congruent lexicalization as the English
verb "surprise" is combined with the Indonesian suffix "-in". This code mixing not only serves as
a facility of expression but also adds an element of creativity and individuality to the speaker's
language use.

Conclusion
To sum up, code-mixing is a phenomena that happens when speakers of different languages mix
speech patterns from various languages (Saputro & Syahrizal, 2022)divided code-mixing into three
categories: insertion, alternation, and congruent lexicalization. With 48% of cases, insertion is
the most common type of code-mixing, followed by alternation (30%) and congruent
lexicalization (22%).
Alternation involves separating the grammar rules of two languages and employing them
alternately, as opposed to insertion, which includes inserting a word or phrase from one language
into the structural arrangement of another language. When a word or phrase is the same or
similar in both languages and is employed interchangeably, congruent lexicalization has taken
place.
Code-mixing can occur for a variety of reasons, such as a lack of vocabulary or the desire to
transmit a specific idea or mood. Social variables, exposure to multilingual media, and language
proficiency can all have an impact on code-mixing.
In the above examples, speakers utilize code-mixing for a variety of purposes, such as to clarify a
topic, describe a particular shade of color, chat casually to listeners, encourage, or describe the
characteristics of cuisine. In multilingual settings, code-mixing can be a natural and inventive
means for speakers to communicate, as well as a reflection of the intricate sociolinguistic
dynamics of a society.
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