An analysis of the socio-pragmatic motivations for code-switching in Rwanda

Abstract

The study examines the social motivations that prompt the Rwandan bilingual speakers to code-switch from Kinyarwanda to English, French or Kiswahili in their casual conversations about real-life situations. Methodological techniques used for data collection are ethnographic non-participant observation, oral interviews, focus group discussions and shorthand notes techniques. Examples were examined and interpreted within Myers-Scotton’s Markedness Model as the main theoretical framework for the study. The research findings align with Myers-Scotton’s categories such as the sequential unmarked choice, code-switching itself as the unmarked choice, the marked choice and the exploratory choice respectively. The main social factors that influence code-switching among the Rwandan bilingual speakers were identified as signalling educated status, expressing different social identities, demonstrating measures of power, authority and prestige, narrowing or widening social distance, and maintaining relationships. These results support the hypothesis that code-switching is a strategy to maximise social benefits from the interlocutors in conversation.