An Investigation of Codeswitching in the Discourse of Saudi Social Media Influencers

Abstract

The pervasive use of social media and the rise of social media influencers worldwide made their discourse worth examining. This study aimed to investigate codeswitching in the discourse of Saudi social media influencers. Using mixed-method approaches, a sample from an interview with three famous Saudi influencers was analysed to reveal codeswitching frequency, types, functions, motives, and role in identity construction. The quantitative findings indicate that the switching frequency is high, the most frequent type is intra-sentential codeswitching, and the Arabic coverage was significantly higher than English in their speech. The qualitative results reveal that codeswitching as a marked choice is used to express multilayered identities, assist meaning construction, avoid conflicts, express emotions, and appear sophisticated. Codeswitching may also be an unmarked choice used naturally in certain situations and triggered by certain domain terminologies. This study provides insight into codeswitching in a new emerging social context.