Language variation: Code-mixing and code-switching in Pakistani commercials

Abstract

English as an international language has left its impact on all the languages being spoken in the world. This impact has led to a world-wide language variation on a large scale. This variation can be evidently observed in the form of code-mixing and code-switching. The study explores and analyzes the frequency of code-mixing in the TV ads broadcasted in Pakistan so as to determine the level of variation that took place in Urdu due to English. Seventy commercials that have been shown during the years 2011-2015 have randomly been selected and the frequency of English words has been checked. The results show that so far as the language of commercials is concerned, Urdu has clearly been influenced by English due to multiple reasons such as fashion, ease and technological advancements etc.