Role Of Code Switching As A Communicative Strategy Between Outapi Residents And Public Officials

ABSTRACT

This study focused on the role of code switching between English and Oshiwambo in Outapi. Outapi is a rural town in the northern part of Namibia. Its residents are exposed to a variety of languages such as Portuguese, Otjiherero, Silozi, English and Oshiwambo. Oshiwambo is spoken and used by the majority of people in Outapi the language of the majority. Residents whose English proficiency is limited, but are able to communicate in Oshiwambo, used Oshiwambo to communicate. The problem arose when communication was done in English, in which the majority are unable to express themselves very well. The study sought to understand the role of code switching between English and Oshiwambo by Outapi residents and public officials when conducting public affairs in like the bank, clinic and post office. Qualitative research approach based on case study research design was applied to determine incidence of code switching in a multilingual community of Outapi. Discourse analysis was used to analyse data. Data were interpreted following the Markedness Model and the Matrix Language Frame Model.

Findings from observations, interviews and questionnaires revealed that code switching facilitated communication in Outapi for speakers to attain their communication goals. The study further indicated how various strategies of code switching (code mixing and borrowing) were employed to make communication possible and successful. The study found that code switching maintained cultural norms of some communities because it is believed that some of the cultural expressions are untranslatable. Although the study indicated how code switching enriches the Oshiwambo language in terms of vocabulary, it also indicated that code switching contributed to language death of the indigenous languages, Oshiwambo in particular. The study further found out that code switching and code mixing are interchangeable terms which are used when communication barrier arisen. It appears that there would be no Oshiwambo language expertise to keep the language alive. Subsequently,

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the study found that code switching is a use gateway to residents of Outapi in attaining their communication goals. It is essential for law makers to recognise code switching as a communicative strategy which helps speakers in multilingual communities to express their identities and their culture freely.