-discipline-specific needs
According to Hamers and Blanc (1989), code mixing represents a process where linguistic elements from different codes are incorporated into another, creating a unique form of communication. This phenomenon is particularly evident in Indonesian higher education, where students navigate between their native language(s), Bahasa Indonesia, and English in their academic pursuits.
Code mixing is one kind of phenomenon that lately happens widely in the multilingual community, precisely in educational settings. Most Indonesian students need to manage more than one language. That is, Indonesian students switch between Indonesian and English as alternatives during interaction. It happens in every higher education since many Indonesian students have English as their second language. Cases where students use code mixing include in ordinary conversations, class presentations, academic debates, in personal conversations with friends, hence this is an important part of the students' communication.
The reasons for code mixing, as Hoffman (1991) suggests, include:
- Carrying on conversations about specific topics
- Quoting others
- Showing solidarity
- Using exclamatory phrases
- Providing clarification
- Explaining concepts to aid listener understanding
- Maintaining a sense of belonging
