Chinese-English Codeswitching In Sitcoms

Along with the increasing communication and strengthened fusion of different nationalities, there have been emerging a great number of bi-lingual speech communities. Two or more languages must be employed in a bi-lingual or multi-lingual speech community, which is generally called"code-switching". (Thereafter in this thesis called CS). CS is a common phenomenon attracting many researchers'attention. In the last 30 years, the study on CS from different angles has been adopted. Three major perspectives are as follows: the study of the structures and the characteristics of the structures of CS from a linguistic perspective; the study of the functions and motivations of CS from a sociolinguistic perspective; the analysis of the reasons and the effects of CS from a cognitive perspective. Most of the studies are on written form of CS. Spoken form of CS is also under its study scope to some degree.Based on the achievements made by the previous researchers, the present study will explore the functions, motivations, causes and effects. It is meant to widen the study perspectives and derive a more comprehensive understanding on CS from different angles so as to discover something new. Two purposes of the present study are: (1) to elaborate the characteristics, functions and motivations of CS; (2) to explain CS phenomena with related linguistic theories. All the data of CS in this thesis are analyzed on the extracts from Celestial Wedding Dress and The Wars of the Genders, which are chosen by the author purposely. CS is a complex linguistic phenomenon. Up to now, there has been no optimal theory that can give a full explanation of the complicated social linguistic phenomenon.The present thesis employs Vershueren's Linguistic Adaptation theory which states that CS is the realization of adaptation and a series of dynamic processes of choice making. All these theories are great support and guidance to the study in the thesis. There is much hope that this paper can lighten people's awareness of the importance of CS and help them achieve better communication with each other. Meanwhile, the writer of this thesis will devote herself to the future study heart and soul.