Kaiyu Zhang, Lu Yang*
School of Foreign Languages, University of Science and Technology Liaoning, Anshan 114005, Liaoning, China.
*Corresponding author: Lu Yang
Abstract
Driven by globalization and digitalization, the boundaries of language communication are increasingly being transcended. Code-switching, as a prevalent social phenomenon, presents unprecedented diversity and creativity on social media platforms. With the help of social media platforms, Gen Z has created a unique form of language that belongs to the new era. Grounded in Carol Myers-Scotton’s markup model and Howard Giles’s communicative adaptation theory, this paper applies established theoretical frameworks to contemporary phenomena. Focusing on the Chinese-English mixed-use phenomenon among Generation Z, and drawing on representative cases from social media platforms such as Red Note and Weibo, this study systematically examines the linguistic characteristics, usage contexts, pragmatic functions, and broader linguistic implications of this code-switching behavior. The findings indicate that this group achieved innovative, concise, and entertaining language expression through daily vocabulary embedding, English abbreviation, and homophony strategies. This study aims to elucidate the features of code-switching within Generation Z and its pragmatic functions, offering a novel perspective for the study of code-switching.
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How to cite this paper
Analysis of Code-switching Phenomena in the Evolution of Social Media Language—Take the Mixed Use of Chinese and English by Gen Z as an Example
How to cite this paper: Kaiyu Zhang, Lu Yang. (2025) Analysis of Code-switching Phenomena in the Evolution of Social Media Language—Take the Mixed Use of Chinese and English by Gen Z as an Example. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 9(3), 642-647.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2025.03.035