Code Switching In Marketing Communications.

Code switching is defined as a term in linguistics referring to alternation between two or more languages, dialects, or language registers in the course of discourse between people who have more than one language in common. Traditionally, code switching was thought to be used only because the person was not proficient enough in the language they were speaking so they would insert the words they did not know in their mother tongue. Roberto Heredia and Jeffrey Brown term this “semi-lingualism.” Heredia and Brown suggest that after recent developments in psycholinguistic research, code switching is found to be a natural product of interaction of the bilingual’s two languages. Hispanics employ code switching for a variety of reasons such as their mood. For example, some Hispanics may only swear in Spanish. Code switching is often can be seen when Hispanics switch between Spanish and English mid-sentence. Social situations also determine whether Hispanics use Spanish or English. When talking to a superior at work Hispanics would most likely use English, while talking to family at dinner they would use Spanish.

The use of code switching in marketing communications has met opposing views. Some believe it will help reach the younger bilingual Hispanic market, while some argue that since code-switching is not a defined language, it will only confuse consumers. One important finding is that different languages mean different things to their users. David Luna and Laura Peracchio found that Hispanics perceive English as the language of power and dominance, and that often Spanish is sometimes associated with a feeling of inferiority. Luna and Peracchio also found that because of these separate meanings, when a code switched, code-switching ad draws attention to the words in English, the response is more favorable than if the Spanish portion is the center of attention. Also, Hispanic consumers recall the language that is used the least in the ad because it stands out. So, if using code-switching in advertising, keep in mind that the ad should be mostly Spanish. It is important to conduct research, such as focus groups to see how your target market will react to using code switching in your marketing communications.

By Angela Henry
Master’s Candidate, Integrated Marketing Communications
Florida State University
An*****@*su.edu

1. Code-switching. Retrieved September 26, 2005 from the world wide web: http://www.answers.com/topic/code-switching
2. Brown, Jeffrey and Heredia, Roberto (n.d.). Code-Switching. Retrieved September 26, 2005 from the world wide web: http://www.tamiu.edu/~rheredia/switch.htm
3. Luna, David and Peracchio, Laura (n.d.). Advertising to Bilingual Consumers: The Impact of Code-Switching and Launguage Schemas on Persuasion. Retrieved September 26, 2005 from the world wide web: http://www.acrwebsite.org/topic.asp?artid=225