Code Switching of Semarang Babah Chinese
in Social Gatherings
A Thesis Presented as a partial Fulfillment of the Requirement to Obtain the Sarjana Degree in the English Linguistics Study Program
By:
TANTI WINOTO
Student Number: 03.80.0035
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM FACULTY OF LETTERS
SOEGIJAPRANATA CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY SEMARANG
A THESIS ON,
Code Switching of Semarang Babah Chinese
in Social Gatherings
By: TANTI WINOTO Student Number: 03.80.0035 Approved by,Heny Hartono, SS, M.pd October 25, 2007 Major Sponsor
Emilia Ninik Aydawati, S.P,M.Hum October 25, 2007 Co Sponsor
A thesis defended in front of the Board of Examiners on October 25, 2007 and declared acceptable
BOARD OF EXAMINERS
Chairperson : Heny Hartono, SS, M.pd ………
Secretary : Emilia Ninik Aydawati, S.P,M.Hum ………
Member : Angelika Riyandari SS.,M.A ………
Semarang, October 25, 2007 Faculty of Letters
Soegijapranata Catholic university Dean,
Heny Hartono, SS, M.pd 058.1.1998.221
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
First and foremost, I would like to say thanks Jesus Christ and Mother Mary who bless and guide me in finishing my thesis. I would like to say thank you very much to Bu Heny as my Major Sponsor. You have guided me, supported me with your patience and gave me valuable advice in working with my thesis so I could see the way I should do. My deep thank is also to Bu Ninik as my co sponsor. You have guided me seriously and helped me finishing this thesis in your busy days. Your special competency in correcting the weak points of my thesis has made me confident to present my thesis.
Also, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to some people who have helped me to finish my thesis:
1. I would like to say thank Bu Ike and Pak Budi who were willing to give me advice in doing this research. My special thank to Pak Ady for lending me books supported my thesis and giving me important information. My thanks also go to all lecturers of the Faculty of Letters Soegijapranata Catholic University who helped me and guided me patiently during my study.
2. The most important person who always helped me to get the participants of this research is my husband koh Hian. Without your support and help, I would not be able to finish my thesis. I thank for all your help.
3. My thank goes to Ay Ling, Koh Gwan, Elly, Liliek, Koh Tjay Liong, Koh Kiem Gun, Pak Agung, Pak Susilo and Bu Susilo for being the participants and for helping me to get the other participants.
4. Vina, Anna Mulyani, Dina, Yuli, Lia, Mia, San San, Anna Radianty, Ike, Grace, Cindy, Sheila, Christian, Beno, Kukuh. All of you gave me support to continue my study, helped me and made me feel home in Unika. Also to my KKU (Kuliah Kerja Usaha) group, Donna, Laura, Andika and Yunita, I would like to say thanks for good cooperation on KKU so that I still have time to do my thesis.
Finally, I realize that my thesis is still far from perfect, but I hope this thesis will be useful for the readers.
Semarang, October 7, 2007 Tanti Winoto
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE OF TITLE
COVER PAGE ………. i
A THESIS APPROVAL ..…….……… ii
BOARD EXAMINERS ………. iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENT ……… iv
TABLE OF CONTENT ……….. v
ABSTRACT ……….………. vii
ABSTRAK ……… viii
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ……… 1
1.1. Background of the Study ………. 1
1.2. Field of the Study ……….……….. 4
1.3. Problem Formulation ………..……… 4
1.4. Scope of the Study .……….. 4
1.5.Objective of the Study ……….. 5
1.6.Significance of the Study ……….……… 5
1.7.Definition of Terms ……….….… 6
CHAPTER II. LITERATURE REVIEW ……….. 7
2.1. Code Switching ……… 7
2.1.1. Intra-sentential and Inter-sentential Code Switching ….. 10
2.1.2. The Functions of Code Switching ………... 13
2.2. Identification of Babah Chinese ……….. 14
3.2. Participants ……….……. 17
3.3. Instruments ……….. 18
3.4. Procedure of Collecting and Analysis Data ……… 18
CHAPTER IV. DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION ……….. 20
4.1. Intra-sentential and / or Inter-sentential Code Switching among Semarang Babah Chinese ………... 21
4.1.1. The Comparison of the Percentage of Intra-sentential and Inter-sentential Code Switching Done by Semarang Babah Chinese ……… 22
4.1.2. The Characteristics of Intra-sentential and Inter-sentential Code Switching Done by Semarang Babah Chinese … 23
4.2. Chinese Words Used by Semarang babah Chinese in their Code Switch ……….. 28
4.2.1. The Chinese Language Used in Code Switching ..….. 28
4.2.2. The Vocabularies Often Used .……….………... 29
4.2.3. The Word Classes Used to Code Switch ……… 31
4.3. The Reasons of Semarang Babah Chinese to Code Switch Using Chinese Language ……….. 35
4.4. The People Semarang babah Chinese Code Switch with .…. 38
CHAPTER V. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION ……… 42
5.1. Conclusion ………...………... 42
5.2. Suggestion ………..………. 45 BIBLIOGRAPHY
ABSTRACT
Babah / peranakan Chinese is known as a unique ethnic because they are mixed ancestry (Chinese and indigenous). In Indonesia, they use local language as their first language but they still maintain Chinese language. The researches done in Singapore and Malay by linguists show that they do code switching. It must be interesting to know the phenomenon of the use of language by babah Chinese in Indonesia especially in Semarang the city with oldest generation of babah Chinese.
Observing this phenomenon will give advantages for linguists to enrich the
knowledge of code switching phenomenon, for babah Chinese in Semarang to reflect
themselves about their use of language.
There are four objectives of this study. First is to know whether Semarang babah Chinese do intra-sentential or inter-sentential code switching. Second is to know what Chinese words that are still used to code switch. Third is to know the reasons they code switch using Chinese language and last is to know the people they code switch with.
Participants of this study were some of babah Chinese who live in Semarang. They were about 50 to 70 years old, because in this age, Chinese people usually still know to which Chinese group they belong.
Data was collected through a direct contact with babah Chinese, recording their natural conversation in social gatherings such as birthday party, sport club and dinner with friends or business relations. Questionnaire was also used to know the reasons why they code switch and the people they code switch with.
The results of the study show that there are four important things found. First, the
data show that Semarang babah Chinese do much more intra-sentential than
inter-sentential code switching. Second, they use more Mandarin than Hokkien (one of Chinese vernaculars) words, there are some vocabularies found to be used more often than the others and the classes of words they use are mainly content words. Third, the reason of doing code switching is mainly to be closer to the listeners. The other reasons are some Chinese words cannot be translated precisely either in Indonesian or Javanese language and they want other people cannot understand what is being talked. The specific reasons found in this research are to retain Chinese language in Indonesia especially in their community, let the listeners know that they are Chinese and they code switch without any reasons so it is just a habit to use Chinese words. Last, in average they do code switch with close people such as spouse, family, close friend and with selected Chinese people. However, surprising fact is found that some of Semarang babah Chinese also do code switch with native people who understand Chinese words and who want to learn Chinese language.
ABSTRAK
Babah / peranakan China dikenal sebagai etnik yang unik karena mereka berdarah campuran China dan penduduk asli. Di Indonesia, mereka menggunakan bahasa local sebagai bahasa ibu, tetapi mereka juga masih menggunakan bahasa China. Dari hasil penelitian yang dilakukan di Singapura dan Malaysia oleh para ahli bahasa, diketemukan mereka ber ”alih bahasa”. Oleh karena itu, pastilah menarik untuk mengetahui fenomena bahasa yang dipakai oleh mereka di Indonesia, khususnya di semarang, kota yang dihuni oleh generasi tertua China babah di Indonesia.
Observasi fenomena ini akan memberi manfaat bagi para ahli bahasa untuk memperkaya pengetahuan tentang fenomena alih bahasa. Bagi China babah sendiri, penemuan dari observasi ini memungkinkan mereka merefleksikan diri mengenai bahasa yang mereka gunakan.
Ada empat tujuan dari penelitian ini. Yang pertama untuk mengetahui bagaimana mereka memasukkan bahasa China kedalam bahasa local (alih bahasa intra-sentential atau
inter-sentential). Yang kedua untuk mengetahui kosa kata apa yang masih dipakai oleh China babah ini. Yang ketiga untuk mengetahui alasan mengapa mereka beralih bahasa. Yang terakhir, dengan siapa saja mereka beralih bahasa..
Untuk penelitian ini dipilih China babah yang tinggal di Semarang yang berusia sekitar 50 – 70 tahun, karena pada usia ini biasanya orang China masih mengetahui mereka termasuk etnik China yang mana.
Data dikumpulkan dengan kontak langsung dengan China babah, merekam percakapan mereka secara alami dalam perkumpulan sosial seperti pesta ulang tahun, club olah raga dan restoran tempat mereka berkumpul bersama teman dan relasi bisnis. Angket juga dipakai untuk mengetahui alasan mereka beralih-bahasa dan siapa lawan bicara mereka.
Hasil-hasil observasi menunjukkan ada empat hal penting ditemukan. Pertama, data
menunjukkan bahwa mereka jauh lebih banyak melakukan alih bahasa intra-sentential
daripada inter-sentential. Kedua, diketahui juga mereka lebih banyak menggunakan kata-kata bahasa Mandarin daripada bahasa Hokian (salah satu bahasa daerah di China) dan ditemukan beberapa kata yang lebih sering dipakai dibandingkan dengan lainnya. Sedangkan jenis kata yang dipakai kebanyakan adalah content words. Ketiga, alasan mereka beralih bahasa terutama agar lebih dekat dengan lawan bicara. Alasan-alasan lain adalah beberapa kata bahasa China tidak dapat diterjemahkan dengan tepat baik kedalam bahasa Indonesia maupun bahasa Jawa, supaya orang lain tidak tahu isi pembicaraan. Ditemukan alasan-alasan spesifik dalam penelitian ini yaitu untuk melestarikan bahasa China khususnya didalam komunitas mereka, agar lawan bicara mengetahui bahwa mereka orang China dan bahwa mereka beralih bahasa tanpa alasan hanya karena kebiasaan saja. Keempat, diketahui bahwa rata-rata mereka beralih bahasa hanya dengan orang-orang yang memiliki hubungan dekat seperti suami / istri, keluarga dan kawan akrab serta orang-orang China tertentu. Selain itu ada hal diluar dugaan yaitu mereka beralih bahasa juga dengan orang-orang pribumi yang mengerti bahasa China atau yang ingin belajar bahasa China.
