Code-Switching and Code-Mixing in Pakistani English: A Sociolinguistic Analysis

Abstract

This work investigates one of the most intriguing and frequently used sociolinguistic phenomena—code-switching and code-mixing in Pakistani English—focusing on its patterns, triggers, and consequences in a multilingual setting. This research employs Myers-Scotton's Matrix Language Frame Model and Giles' Communication Accommodation Theory to examine the influence of sociocultural variables such as gender, age, social status, and digital on language. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, data were acquired through naturalistic observations, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews with people spanning a variety of demographic backgrounds. The results indicate that code-switching and code-mixing function as mechanisms for the construction of identity, facilitating the bridging of linguistic divides and the navigation of social environments. Relativization and related patterns within and between sentences are common, English is used where the formality or when the professional language is required, whereas Urdu is used to express culture or emotions. The research stresses about the importance of digital communicative media in developing these practices and portrays a continuum of attitudes for bi-lingual language use – right from the linguistic competence to the cultural insipidness. In doing so, this study expands the theory of sociolinguistics and brings crucial insights that will be helpful for educating policymakers and the general public in Pakistan and beyond. The sociolinguistic study particularly highlights the salient features of code-switching and code-mixing within the context of Pakistani these activities highlight the complexity of communicational interactions in a multilingual setting, illustrating how language and the self-intersect in a multicultural linguistic environment.