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Code-switching English into Indonesian conversations
Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian language) serves as the national language and is spoken by almost all Indonesians as a common language. A true example of a nation who managed to unite under one language, where so many other failed (e.g India, Spain, China, etc.) So I can't help but wonder — why do Indonesians still mix English into their discussions with other Indonesians?
I'm not talking about business discussions, where English is sometimes inevitable, especially for those who have only ever worked in multinationals. I'm talking about native Indonesians, casually hanging out with their other native friends, yet mixing in English mid-sentence. It's something you won't ever notice in a French or German culture for example, and of course won't happen in the English world. It puzzled me for a while, and I've come to the conclusion that there are possibly two reasons for this:
To sound cool — younger and educated Indonesians are exposed to English through movies and Internet. Many large and hipster brands adressing this audience caught up on this up and adress them in English. Hence, incorporating English words or phrases into their Indonesian speech can be a way of expressing themselves in a more modern way, signify that the speaker is part of a younger generation who keeps up with trends.
Social signaling — the better one's English, the higher one's level of education or social status. Using English words or phrases in conversation (especially native sounding adverbs — think "eventually" or "apparently) is their attempt to show off their fluency in the language, and thus, their membership of a cosmopolitan elite. Or at least that's how I perceive it.
Of course, there must be other reasons. For example, among the less fortunate, speaking English to each other may be motivated by a desire to practice and learn the language, without having the chance to take paid formal training — but this feels like rare occurence?
Let me know what you think.