An Analysis on Code Switching found in the lyrics of Maher Zains’ songs

ABSTRACT

This study focuses on analyzing code switching in the lyrics of Maher Zains’ songs. It is choosen because code switching commonly happens in direct conversation, but in this context, it occurs in the songs. The Lyrics of Maher Zains’ songs consist of many linguistic resources that provide very rich material for a study of code switching. This study analyzes the kinds and functions of code-switching found in the lyrics of Maher Zains’ songs.

A descriptive qualitative method is used to describe and explain the phenomenon of code switching in the lyrics of Maher Zains’ songs. The researcher is the primary instrument in collecting and analyzing the data. The data were collected from the lyrics of Maher Zains’ songs obtained from the internet on November 13, 2010. Furthermore, the data were analyzed using Hoffman’s and Bloom and Gumperz’s theory.

The result of this study shows that the kinds of code switching found in the lyrics of Maher Zains’ songs are intersentential switching, intrasentential switching and also emblematic switching. Most of them talk about praising and praying with Muslims as the participants and in religious setting. The functions of code-switching found in the lyrics of Maher Zains’ songs are to quote the Prophet of Muhammad’s speech; to mark that Arabic is more personalized to be used in praising and praying; to specify audiences; to reiterate an Arabic expression to emphasize its meaning; and also to qualify or clarify the message. In addition, the result also shows that lyrics can be analyzed by using code switching approach.

It is suggested for the next researchers to analyze code switching involving more than two languages, because this present study analyzes English-Arabic code switching which occurs in the lyrics of Maher Zains’ songs. It is important to say that the more languages involved in switching the more rich the data finding and discussion. It is also expected to analyze code switching more deeply in another indirect conversation, for example in the poem and quatrain.