INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the discussion about Background of Study, Research Question, Purpose of Study, Significance of Study, Scopes and Limitation of Study, and Definition of Key Terms.

1.1.Background of the Study

The study of language in relation with social factors is very fascinating. Language contact occurs in variety of phenomena, including language convergence, borrowing, and relexification. The most common product are pidgins, creoles, codeswitching, and mixed languages.   

A Language is a system which operates with symbolic vocal sounds and which is used by group of people for the purposes of communication. According to Anderson, (1997:35) stated that language is a system of sound, arranged from arbitrary symbols it has unique character. Language is built up from our behavior; language is tool for communication, which has interaction with our culture.

The overall people around the world are used language for their communication and interaction. Most of them have a mastery of more than one language, especially in Indonesia country. In Indonesia most of the societies are using more than one language. There exists (in Indonesia) local language (Bahasa Daerah) and national language (Bahasa Nasional).

    Local language is the language that is used in a region, ethnic language. i.e. Java language, Sudanese language, and Batak language (Dendy Sugono, do et al, 2008:119).

 In Lombok island, exist Base Sasak (Sasak Language). According to Syahdan (1996:13) and Mahyuni (2006:1-2) stated that, Base Sasak (Sasak Language) is one of the regional or local languages in Indonesia country. Sasak (which is manifested in range of regional and social varieties) is spoken primarily by about two million dengan Sasak ‘Sasak speakers’. Traditionally, Sasak has been classified into five dialects negenó-ngené (central west coast and central east to north coast), menó-mené (around Praya, central Lombok), ngetó-ngeté (around Suralaga and Sembalun), kutó-kuté (around Bayan, north part of the island), meriaq-meriku (south central area around Bonjeruk, Sengkol and Pujut).  

The existence of local language (Sasak language) especially at Kuta, Central Lombok and generally in West Nusa Tenggara province, the continuity and also its authenticity should be defending because it belong to national heritages. It is one of the assets to develop tourism industry, because of Kuta central Lombok is one of tourism object in West Nusa Tenggara Province. In the meantime, local language is one of the important things to support the existence of culture. However, because in this place most of the Sasak community are bilingual (using both of Base Sasak and Bahasa Indonesia) and it’s also support by the existence of tourism industry, where many tourists came to visited this place and uses English. Hence, the often switch among them in their daily interactions with their community also outside of their community, and because of their habitation indirectly occur codeswitching, especially among them (Sasak community at Kuta, Central Lombok).   

Language as social phenomenon in its usage not only determined by linguistic factors, but also determined by non-linguistic factors, for example social and situational factors. The Social factors that usages of language are social status, education level, age, economic level, gender and so on. The Situational factor influence language, and to whom someone converses. Language contact occurs in social situation contact; as such the situation at the time of someone learns second language in society. Social contact happened in everywhere including at Kuta, Central Lombok, whereas the community or societies have interactions to each other.

Kuta is a Village located in south Lombok, Pujut district central Lombok regency of West Nusa Tenggara province with population about + 4000 people in year of 2009, divided into 14 sub villages (Dusun) and it is predominated by Sasak community or Sasak ethnic whereas they used Sasak language (base Sasak) as their first language (L1) with “meriaq-meriku” dialect. Sasak community is local society in this place.

Most of Sasak community at Kuta, Central Lombok usually are bilinguals or multilinguals, though their first language is Sasak language (Base Sasak) with meriaq-meriku dialect. They use more than two languages because of the situational factors.

In addition, beside for communicative and interactive functions, language also serves as national or regional identity. The fact that languages are not only objective, socially neutral instruments for conveying meaning, but are linked up with the identities of social or ethnic groups has consequences for the social evaluation of, and the attitudes toward languages (Appel, 1987: 16).

Hence, Sasak language (Base Sasak) is the identity of Sasak community who use it as first language (L1), and the Sasak community at Kuta, Central Lombok are use “meriaq-meriku” dialect. However, because of bilingual and multilingual occur in this area in order to most of them often using code switching in their daily interactions.

Many, especially more recent, studies on codeswitching involve two or more languages which are typologically different. The present of study, by contrast, involves an international language, national language and local language (Bahasa Daerah), whereas the local language here is Sasak language with “meriaq meriku” dialect spoken by Sasak community at Kuta, Central Lombok.

Generally, the Sasak community in this area is familiar with other languages beside their native language (Sasak language), those are Indonesia language and English and they often use among them although in single conversation (speech event).

In this study, the researcher is interested in studying about language phenomenon that occurs among the Sasak community at Kuta, Central Lombok.

  

1.2.Research Questions

This study is an attempt to investigate the following questions below;

1. What are the types of codeswitching among the Sasak community at Kuta central Lombok?
2. What are the factors that contribute to the use of codeswitching among the Sasak community at Kuta central Lombok?  

1.3.Purpose of the Study

In general, this study is aimed at observing codeswitching among the Sasak community at Kuta, Central Lombok. In particularly, this study is intended to;

1. describe the types of codeswitching among the Sasak community at Kuta central Lombok.
2. describe some factors that motivate the speaker to use of codeswitching.

1.4. Significance of the Study

The significances of this research are expected to:

1.4.1.      For the Researcher

a.           The researcher will learn and know more about codeswitching.

Especially the types, the factors and the functions of codeswitching among the Sasak community at Kuta, Central Lombok.

b.           The researcher can improve his insight or understanding about codeswitching

c.            The researcher can participate in giving knowledge contribution related to language theory especially in codeswitching and other sociolinguistic aspects.

1.4.2.      For the Reader and University 

a.       The reader will get more knowledge about sociolinguistic aspect especially in codeswitching.

b.      The result of the research will be an additional literature which can be used by the next researcher in language and art program especially in English department of Teacher and Training Education Faculty, Mataram University.

1.5. Scopes and Limitation of the Study

1.5.1.      Scopes of the Study

The scope of study in this research is the use of codeswitching by Sasak speakers of “meriaq-meriku” dialect at Kuta village south Lombok, Pujut district, Central Lombok regency of West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia.

1.5.2.      Limitation of the Study

This study is limited to the analysis of types, and factors that contribute to the use of codeswitching among the Sasak community at Kuta, Central Lombok use using Sasak language (Base Sasak) of “meriaq-meriku” dialect.

1.6. Definition of Key Terms

Before going to further, the researcher needs to define the terms and content used in this study to avoid any possible misunderstanding and misinterpretation, and they are as follows;

1.6.1.      Speech Community

The member of community speech language in common. Language use (Lyions 1970), frequency of interaction by a group of people (Bloomfield 1933:25-30; Hockett 1958; Gumperz 1962), shared rules of speaking and interpretation of speech performance (Hymes 1972), shared attitude and values regarding language forms and use (Labov 1972) and shared socio-cultural understandings and presuppositions with regard to speech (Sherzer 1975) in Saville-Troike (1989:16).

1.6.2.      Codeswitching

Codeswitching is a natural phenomenon in bilingual and multilingual communities where two or more languages come into contact (Syahdan, 1996:12), and according to Poplack, (2000) Codeswitching is the alternation of two languages within a single discourse, sentence or constituent.

1.6.2.1.Inter sentential Codeswitching

Inter-Sentential switches occur between sentences, as their name indicates (Appel, 1987:118)

1.6.2.2.Intra sentential Codeswitching

Intra-Sentential switches occur in the middle of sentence as in ‘I start acting real CURIOSA.’ this type of intimate switching is often called code mixing (Appel, 1987:118).

1.6.2.3.Tag Codeswitching

Tag-switches involve an exclamation, a tag, or parenthetical in another language then rest of sentence (Appel, 1987:118)