Interactional implications of code switching in Facebook language as a sociolinguistic marker of gender identity : the case of EFL master students at Ibn Khaldoun university of Tiaret

Abstract EN

This research paper aims at probing the sociolinguistic dimensions of using code switching/mixing on Facebook by EFL bilingual students at Ibn Khaldoun University of Tiaret in Algeria.

It seeks to reveal whether there are any differences in gender identity construction at the level of attitudes towards code switching as well as students' motivations of employing code switching/mixing in their online written posts, comments and chats.

To do this, a self-designed questionnaire was administered to 100 EFL bilingual students in order to assess their attitudes towards language use on Facebook.

The findings of the study showed both males and females use code switching to a large extent on Facebook and prefer using ADA/Eng, as well as ADA/Fr code switching.

Besides, they demonstrated positive attitudes towards Facebook language as well as code switching seeing both as more expressive, communicatively easier and more dynamic.