A Study On The Adaptability Of Chinese And English Code - Switching In Film And TV Works

As a unique linguistic phenomenon, code-switching refers to the switching among at least two different codes in verbal communications. Code-switching has been an academically hot issue in the field of linguistic inquiry. Different scholars have laid an emphasis on its motivation, structure and function from the perspectives of sociolinguistics, syntax, psycholinguistics and discourse analysis. In recent years, as a brand-new perspective, pragmatics has provided us a more comprehensive way of analyzing and explaining the phenomenon of code-switching.In the view of pragmatics, the thesis adopts Vershueren’s Adaptation Theory and Yu Guodong’s Adaptation Model as the theoretical framework and selects eight city theme films and TV series as data. With the approach of qualitative method supported by quantitative method, the thesis aims at exploring the pragmatic functions CS fulfills and the linguistic features it manifests in adaptation process.The research demonstrates that in city theme film and TV series, the majority of E-C CS is intra-sentential switching, among which, nouns occur with the highest frequency. The code-switchers in term of motivations are to adapt the linguistic reality, social conventions and psychological motivations. The pragmatic functions CS realizes include filling vocabulary vacancy, keeping convenience, improving precision, mentioning foreign product or concept, avoiding taboos, expressing sex-related topics euphemistically, softening the tone and face-saving, emphasizing, expressing negative emotions explicitly, pursuing fashion and creating humor. Besides, the CS in city theme film and TV series fulfills three special functions:implanting advertisement, attracting audience and keeping truthfulness.