[01] Ruba A. Mustafa, Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, Faculty of Arts, Department of English language and literature, Jubail University Collage, Jubail, KSA.

This study examines the phenomenon of SMS code-switching among teenagers in Jordan. It aims at investigating the most frequently used phrases in teenagers code-switched SMS and the reasons behind switching either to English or Arabic while texting. It also aims at exploring the factors that help in the spread of the use of code-switched SMS along with teenagers’ attitudes toward this phenomenon. A sample of 150 male and female teenagers, whose ages range between (13-17) were selected from five different private and public schools. A corpus of 1500 text messages was collected from the subjects. Methodology used in this study is descriptive and analytic. A questionnaire was designed and handed to the subjects along with an interview form that was designed to fulfill the objectives set for the study. Major findings of the current study revealed seven main reasons behind teenagers’ switched SMSes. It also explored four positive attitudes toward switching when texting and one negative attitude toward this phenomenon. It proved five factors that help in the spread of the use of code-switched SMS. It also shed light on the emergence of Arabizi and the reasons behind switching to Arabizi rather than Arabic or English.

Arabizi, Code-Switching, Switched-Sms, Texting

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