CODE-SWITCHING OF ISAN WOMEN IN TRANSNATIONAL FAMILIES ON YOUTUBE

Abstract

This research is a linguistic study aimed at analyzing the code-switching practices of Isan women in transnational families on YouTube. The research data includes YouTube video clips from 2021 - 2022 by Isan women married to European husbands, collected from 10 YouTube channels with a total of 100 video clips. Each channel has more than 100,000 followers. The theoretical framework is based on Gumperz’s (1982) concept of code-switching, which posits that code-switching is related to contextual information and the topic of discourse.

The findings reveal three patterns of code-switching among the participants: (1) between Standard Thai and Isan Thai, (2) between Isan Thai and foreign languages, and (3) between Standard Thai and foreign languages. These instances of code-switching serve functions such as explanation and translation. Additionally, the patterns of code-switching are closely associated with the content and topics being discussed.