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Proceedings Series on Social Sciences & Humanities, Volume 18
Proceedings of International Student Conference on Education (ISCE)
ISSN: 2808-103X
Proceedings homepage: https://conferenceproceedings.ump.ac.id/pssh/issue/view/34
Students’ Perception of Code-Crossing in EFL Classroom Interaction on
Sociocultural
Diva Sayyidina Saral1, Ahmad Wael2, Rinda Hardianti3
1,2,3Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, English Education Department,
Universitas Muhammadiyah Sorong
Jl. Pendidikan No.27, Kelurahan Klabulu, Malaimsimsa, Sorong City, West Papua 98416
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Article history:
DOI:
10.30595/pssh.v18i.1235
Submited:
02 September, 2024
Accepted:
19 September, 2024
Published:
23 September, 2024
Code-crossing in EFL classroom used by students and lecturers is important
due to maintain language politeness in communication. This study aims to
disclose students’ perception of code-crossing usage by viewing it from
sociocultural. The method of this research is descriptive qualitative. The
researcher uses open-ended interview to 12 English Education Department
student from semester 4 and 6. The result shows that students often use code-
crossing both high-code and low-code and switch one to another depend on
the interlocutors. In sociocultural aspect, most of students have positive
perception towards several sociocultural; cultural background, age
difference, level of education, and linguistic variation. The result reveals that
students highly consider intonation of voice, body language, and language
selection when they use code-crossing. In conclusion, English Education
students mostly have positive perception towards these four sociocultural
aspects.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
License.
Keywords:
Students’ Perception, Code-
crossing, Sociocultural,
Class Interaction
Corresponding Author:
Diva Sayyidina Saral
Universitas Muhammadiyah Sorong
Jl. Pendidikan No.27, Kelurahan Klabulu, Malaimsimsa, Sorong City, West Papua 98416
Email: divasayyidina03@gmail.com
1. INTRODUCTION
The language used in everyday life is defined by cultural and historical diversity. Language becomes one
of the components of cultural values, as it becomes distinctive from one another. In Indonesia, more than 700
languages and numerous dialects are spoken. The dynamical nature of language keeps developing as it
continuously changes, evolves, and adapts depending on the user. This diversity of cultures from each tribe,
especially in Indonesia, derives from multiplied languages and their variation. The study of how social and
language are interrelated is called sociolinguistics. Sociolinguistics is a field of linguistic research focusing on the
connection between language and society and how people use language in different social contexts. In
sociolinguistic study, there are sundry fields, one of them is language attitude. Language attitude is a complex
notion of how an individual's beliefs and behavior are affected by their language. It can counter the reaction to
language use, producing negative and positive feelings towards the language itself.
Language attitude is also derived from several components, one of which is code-crossing. Rampton
(1995, p. 485-513) as the first sociolinguist who coined the term code-crossing explains that language crossing or
code-crossing is a code alternation by people who are not accepted as group members associated with the second
language they are using. Code-crossing can be called asymmetrical communication, such as lecturer-student,
superior-inferior, doctor-patient, and others. The code pattern used in communication indicates differences in
dominance or authority in terms of contextual settings.
ISSN: 2808-103X
Proceedings homepage: https://conferenceproceedings.ump.ac.id/pssh/issue/view/34
113
In Papua circumstances, it is often found that the people who live there come from various tribes, such
as Bugis, Buton, Java, Moluccan, and many others. This occurrence is usually found in every environment, where
their accent or dialect can still recognize the interaction among each other. Each region has a unique accent or
dialect that can distinguish them from one another. Therefore, the code-crossing phenomenon might arise when
they interact, especially from different social and cultural backgrounds, power, social distance, etc. The role of
language politeness is highly essential regarding the manner of society and cultural being. Therefore, the
description of code-crossing above has developed the complexity of code-crossing in daily use. Many researchers
who focused on the code-crossing phenomenon have discovered the presence of code-crossing in various
asymmetrical communication or contexts and the high and low stratification codes. Also, they find out the factors
influencing code-crossing use, starting from social status, power, age differences, familiarity, etc.
Based on the background above, the researcher tries to formulate the research question which about
students’ perception of the use of code-crossing on sociocultural in EFL classroom interaction at the English
Education Department in Universitas Muhammadiyah Sorong.
Definition of Code-crossing
According to Stockwell (2002), a code is "a symbol of nationalism used by people to speak or
communicate in a particular language, or dialect, or register, or accent, or style on different occasions and for
different purposes." To simplify, code is used as a communication term to interact with one another and selectively
choose code that refers to different contexts and purposes. It commonly happens in speech interaction, and people
might prefer a certain code, switch it, or mix it with another. This is useful because, in a specific situation, a person
can have difficulty expressing the idea and language with an interlocutor with a different language background,
so using code in language can help them efficiently express language variation.
Rampton (1995, p. 485-513) coined the term code-crossing by defining it simply as "code alternation
which is used by people who are not accepted as the member group associated with the second language they are
using." Code-crossing, or in other terms language crossing, is a recent terminology used by sociolinguists to
identify the use of code systems in communication by which the use of code can be rooted in differences in
individuals' social status, cultural values, beliefs, age differences, power, authority, and many more. Another
keyword to highlight the definition of code-crossing is "social contract," which the societal values have established
from their social norms' agreement. So, there are regulations and policies that society has agreed to apply
communication style depending on its contextual settings. According to Awadelkarim (2019, p. 2), Code-crossing
is a multiplex sociolinguistic phenomenon in which the language user can purposely opt to adopt kinds of speech
or language variety from another group. Moreover, when the unequal interlocutors interact, code-crossing
becomes a strategy consideration in communication.
2. RESULT AND DISCUSSION
The researcher will explore their perception towards code-crossing itself, begin from the basic reason
they apply it and which sociocultural factors influence their use of code-crossing. Those four sociocultural are
cultural background, level of education, age difference, and linguistic variation.
a. Students’ perception on cultural background
Several students stated that the most important way to be considered in applying code-crossing is to always
maintaining the tone of voice, body language, and language selection. It shows as a form of honoring the elders.
Extract 22:
S4: “Personally, in how I should do is that to keep our speech in the polite way to them as a form of
respecting them”
the students who come from different culture and tribes also highly respecting the elders, and using the
speech etiquette based on their cultural teaching. As culture really influence the way of people behave, so the
students explain their speech etiquette from their cultural background. The students come from Java, Bugis,
Maybrat, and NTT. and some of them are applying the code-crossing based on their cultural teaching.
Extract 25:
S8: “I am from Bugis, and there is a tradition called ‘adat siri’, which means shyness, so when talking to
the older people it is mandatory to apply that tradition. And I think it is in line with the use of high-code which
use to certain people”
Thus, that is how code-crossing is applied, by reflecting from Rampton (1995, p.4) who said that code-
crossing can be defined as social contract. It means that there are regulation and policies that society has agreed
to apply communication style depending on its contextual settings.
b. Students’ perception on level of education
This second sociocultural that the researcher found is level of education. The researcher found that students
have various response of this. Some of them feel enthusiastic, still maintaining the formal language, and some of
them also feel passive and shy.
ISSN: 2808-103X
Proceedings homepage: https://conferenceproceedings.ump.ac.id/pssh/issue/view/34
114
Extract 28:
S1: “I feel the differences when I talk to the person who have different level of education than me. I get more
enthusiast when talk to them.”
This extract above shows the positive attitude when interacting to the people who have different level of
education. She gets excited and enthusiast with that. In addition, she thinks that by interacting with them, she can
gain many knowledge from the interlocutor.
Extract 37:
S12: “I will use formal language when I talk with person who have difference level of education”
These students perceive that they will choose the formal style of communication when they interact with
them, due to form of respecting them who have more knowledge than them. So, they adjust the language style
into formal settings. This is in line with Simpuruh (2020, p. 103) finding which said that level of education is
included as the factors that could influence the use of code-crossing.
c. Students’ perception on age difference
The third sociocultural factor that commonly influence the use of code-crossing is age differences. Students’
perception towards age differences is quite various, such as the thing to be considered of when talking to the older
people. This factor surely become the main reason of why people apply code-crossing. Age difference can
influence the language choice they speak based on the interlocutor. Hence, to maintain the politeness to
interaction.
Extract 47:
S11: "I definitely use nicknames to distinguish or indicate that they are older. Like "Kak" or "Bu" like that."
This is in line with the study of Simpuruh (2020) and Fadila (2023) who have the same result in factors
influencing code-crossing, which one of them is age difference.
d. Students’ perception on linguistic variation
The researcher found out that all students have positive perception about receiving the code-crossing with
the different dialect. Some of them feel enthusiast and want to learn more about other dialect and culture, because
they admit that it can enrichen knowledge of diversity. Some of them need to adapt first when it comes to their
first time interacting with people who have different dialect. They also stated that they do not find any problem
of handling this difference, since they know that in the daily circumstance, there are many people who comes
from various tribe and culture.
Extract 62:
S8: "For me, it's probably because we live in Papua, where we have many and varied cultures, from
elementary school to college. So, it's a normal thing and I find it easy to adapt to the differences."
This finding supports the theory of Wardaugh (2010, p.21) that language and society may be bi-directional.
It means that both language and society are intertwined and influence each other, specifically for the use of
language including the variation which affected by culture. Thus, it can be concluded that all students give positive
perception towards the dialect diversity, and they try to be open and understand more about the dialect they
receive.
3. CONCLUSION
There are four sociocultural factors which analyzed in the research. Those are cultural background, level
of education, age difference, and linguistic variation. And all students highly pay attention to the use of language
both in the formal and informal settings. In addition, they have positive perception of the language use from
interlocutor who comes from different culture, and being enthusiast to these differences. Moreover, they still
followed the speech etiquette from cultural teaching.
Based on the result of this research, it is more recommended to conduct the further research regarding
the use of code-crossing in EFL classroom interaction. It could be analysis of code-crossing in other sociocultural
factor, since there are many factors that can be analyzed to. Moreover, the researcher also suggests in future
research to view this case from lecturers’ perspective. By continuing this research, we can deepen understanding
of code-crossing phenomenon especially in educational context. Furthermore, the researcher also expected that
this research will be helpful for the reader and can use it properly in learning language use in daily conversation.
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