An Analysis of Language Code Used by the Cross- Married Couples, Banjarese- Javanese Ethnics: A Case Study in South Kalimantan Province, Indonesia

Abstract

This research aims to describe the use of language code applied by the participants and to find out the factors influencing the choice of language codes. This research is qualitative research that describe the use of language code in the cross married couples. The data are taken from the discourses about language code phenomena dealing with the cross- married couples, Banjarese- Javanese ethnics in Tanah Laut regency South Kalimantan, Indonesia. The conversations occur in the family and social life such as between a husband and a wife, a father and his son/daughter, a mother and her son/daughter, a husband and his friends, a wife and her neighbor, and so on. There are 23 data observed and recoded by the researcher based on a certain criteria. Tanah Laut regency is chosen as a purposive sample where this regency has many different ethnics so that they do cross cultural marriage for example between Banjarese- Javanese ethnics. Findings reveal that mostly the cross married couple used code mixing and code switching in their conversation of daily activities. Code mixing is uttered by Javanese father or mother to their children. Mixed codes are used namely Banjarese+Javanese+Indonesian. Meanwhile, code switching occurs when there is another factor or a new participant who join in the discourse. The codes change from Banjarese to Indonesian codes or Javanese to Indonesian codes due to new participant who involve himself/herself in the dialogue. The influential factors are situational factors, the environment (neighborhood), relative status, and ethnicity.

Keywords: Language codes, Cross- married couples, Banjarese and Javanese ethics, Dialects