A SOCIO-PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF CHINESE-ENGLISH CODE-SWITCHING IN ADVERTISING DISCOURSE
Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, P.R.C.
13770501252@163.com
Abstract
Code-switching is a phenomenon arising from language contacts. Since the implementation of China’s reform and open-door policy, Chinese-English code-switching is a more and more frequent phenomenon in mass media, especially in magazines and newspapers, which has drawn much attention from linguists. Since the 1970’s, linguists both at home and abroad have been researching code-switching from the perspectives of sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, conversational analysis and so on. This paper intends to study the Chinese-English code-switching in advertising discourse mainly from the perspectives of sociolinguistics and pragmatics.
The Chinese-English code-switching in Chinese advertising discourse can be structurally categorized into inserted code-switching, alternative code-switching and diglossia code-switching and the inserted code-switching can be further divided into phonological insertion, lexical and phrasal insertion, clause insertion and discourse insertion. There are mainly two general motivations behind the use of Chinese-English code-switching: adaptation to the linguistic reality of Chinese and English and adaptation to the social and psychological state of modern Chinese society.
1. Introduction
Code-switching has been a permanent topic in sociolinguistics and studies of cross-cultural communication. After more than thirty years of economic reform and the open-door policy in China, code-switching has become such a common phenomenon in Chinese communication that we can find it almost in every type of discourse such as daily conversations, pop songs, news reports, advertisements, leaflets and television programs and so on. Among all the foreign languages that have been learned in China, English has been the most important medium through which the Chinese people have come into contact and communicate with the outside world. As a result, code-switching between Chinese and English has been most frequent and even prevalent in China nowadays, both written and spoken discourses. The present paper aims to study Chinese-English code-switching in advertising discourse from the perspectives of pragmatics and sociolinguistics, focusing mainly on the features of different types of code-switching, the motivations behind and the rhetorical effects of code-switching in this discourse type.
The analysis in this paper is both quantitative and qualitative and the data analyzed are all selected from fairly popular and well-known Chinese magazines, newspapers and TV programs, including China Newsweek (中国新闻周刊), Finance and Economics (财经), South People Weekly (南方人物周刊), Info Club (环球时尚资讯), Cosmo (时尚), Ruili Beauty (瑞丽妆), Ruili Deco (瑞丽家), Motor Trend (汽车族), Digital Frontline (数码前线), Mina (米娜), Yangtse Evening Post (扬子晚报), CCTV2 (中央二套). The data were first collected, then classified and finally analyzed to figure out the different types of Chinese-English code-switching, the specific motivations behind it and the different rhetorical effects it possibly produced.
2. Defining code-switching
Code-switching is the result of bilingualism and multilingualism and it has been defined by many linguists from different perspectives based on their own research focus and the data they use. Grosjean (1982:145) defines code-switching as “the alternate use of two or more languages in the same utterance or conversation”; any single word, a phrase, a sentence or several sentences can be code-switched. Gumperz (1982:59) defines code-switching as “the juxtaposition within the same speech exchange of passages of speech belonging to two different grammatical systems or subsystems”. Myers-Scotton (1993a:3) sees code-switching as “the selection by bilinguals or multilinguals of form from an embedded variety (or varieties) in utterances of a matrix variety during the same conversation”. In the case of Chinese-English code-switching in Chinese advertising, the matrix language is Chinese and the embedded language is English.
It is easy to get confused between Code-switching and several other similar or relevant terms, such as code-mixing, borrowing and diglossia; hence some preliminary distinctions and clarifications are needed.
Code-switching and code-mixing: It has been controversial whether there is any distinction between code-switching and code-mixing. Kachru (1986) insists that there exists some difference between code-switching and code-mixing. He believes that code-switching is mainly inter-sentential in that it usually happens between clauses, while code-mixing is generally intra-sentential in that it often occurs within the same clause. However, it seems there are more scholars who maintain that there is no distinction between the two terms. Myers-Scotton (1993a) believes that code-switching may take place on any linguistic level and it can be either inter-sentential or intra-sentential. Verschueren (1999: 119) points out that “code-switching, a cover term for language or code alternation, is an extremely common occurrence and a flavored strategy, especially in oral discourse. It may serve many different functions.” Evidently, this definition does not suggest any distinction between code-switching and code-mixing. The present paper will adopt the “no distinction” view and use “code-switching” as “a cover term for language or code alternation”.
Code-switching and borrowing: Just as the distinction between code-switching and code-mixing, there has been no consensus so far as to whether there is any distinction between Code-switching and borrowing. Poplack (1984) believes that code-switching and borrowing are quite distinct processes in that they are subject to different constraints and have quite different surface characteristics. According to Poplack (1984), code-switching is the juxtaposition of sentence or sentence fragments, each of which is internally consistent with the morphological and syntactic rules of the language of its provenance. On the contrary, borrowing is the adaptation of lexical material to the morphological and syntactic patterns of the recipient language. Myers-Scotton (1993a, 1997) maintains that code-switching and borrowing share more similarities than differences and that it seems their difference only lies in their frequency of occurrence with borrowing occurring more frequently than code-switching.
Code-switching and diglossia: The term “diglossia”, first used by Ferguson in 1959, concerns two functional varieties of a single language; one of them (the High variety) is normally used in formal speech, and the other (the Low variety), is often used in informal speech. That is to say, the two varieties have alternative roles to play in the diglossia situation. Thus, code-switching and diglossia on the one hand have something in common in that they are both the employment of two (varieties of) languages in a single speech community or speech situation. On the other hand, code-switching and diglossia are different in that in the diglossia situation only one language or variety is used at a time and the choice of variety is mainly determined by the immediate context of situation in which it is easy for the participants to become aware of the switch from one variety or language to another. There is a one-to-one relationship between language and function in diglossia. However, in the case of code-switching, elements from two different languages occur in a single sentence or stretch of speech and the participants are not often conscious of the switch between different codes.
3. Types of code-switching
There have been many attempts at classifying code-switching and here we will only mention a few of them. Gumperz (1982) identifies two types of code-switching: situational code-switching and metaphorical code-switching. Situational code-switching refers to the switching from one code to another caused by the change of extra-linguistic situational factors, so it is the result of the change in social situation, which involves the change of participants, the change of the communicative situation and the change in the formality degree of the conversation. Thus this kind of code-switching is closely related to the social situation. Metaphorical code-switching occurs when a change of topic requires a change in the language and so it is closely related to particular topics or subjects rather than to changes in situational factors. Auer (1998) also classifies code-switching into two types from the perspective of conversational analysis: discourse-related code-switching and participant-related code-switching. The former is speaker-oriented and it works as a resource for accomplishing different communicative acts, while the latter is hearer-oriented and it takes the hearer’s linguistic preference or competence into consideration. But Auer also points out that there is no clear boundary between the two types and they often overlap.
Muysken(1995) classifies code-switching into three types based on its structure and function: alternation, insertion, and congruent lexicalization. Alternation refers to a switch from one code to another which may involve entire sentences, clauses or some peripheral elements. Insertion is a case in which a linguistic element from one language is inserted into the linguistic structure of another language and the inserted element may be either a phrasal constituent or a single word. Congruent lexicalization refers to the situation in which two languages share a grammatical structure that can be filled with lexical elements from either language.
Poplack (1993a) classifies code-switching into three types: inter-sentential, intra-sentential and tag switching. Inter-sentential switching refers to a switch at a clause or sentence boundary, where each clause or sentence is in one language or another, which coincides with sentence boundaries. Intra-sentential switching involves switching between languages within a sentence. Tag switching involves the insertion of a tag phrase from one language to another language and a tag phrase can be interjections, fillers and quotations, which may also be moved freely within a sentence without violating any grammatical rule.
Myers-Scotton also holds that “CS may be either inter-sentential or intra-sentential … inter-sentential CS involves switches from one language to the other between sentences: a whole sentence (or more than one sentence) is produced entirely in one language before there is a switch to the other language(s) in use in the conversation…intra-sentential switches occur within the same sentence or sentence fragment.” (1993a:3) In the analysis of code-switching, Myers-Scotton (1993a, 1993b) puts forward the matrix language frame (MLF) model in which the main language in code-switching is referred to as “the matrix language (ML)” and the other language involved in code-switching as “the embedded language (EL)”. The EL elements can be of any size, from a single morpheme or lexeme to several constituents including the sentences. According to Myers-Scotton (1993a, 1993b), there are three types of constituent patterns or structures in code-switching: ML+EL constituents, ML islands and EL islands. The ML+EL constituents consist of content morphemes from both ML and EL, but have a grammatical structure of the ML. ML islands are cases in which all the morphemes involved in code switching come from ML. The ML islands conform to the ML grammar and show internal structural dependency relations. In contrast, EL islands consist of only EL morphemes obeying the grammatical rules of EL and, as ML islands, they also show clear relations of internal structural dependency.
4. Types of Chinese-English code-switching in advertising discourse
Our analysis of Chinese-English code-switching in the Chinese advertising discour is mainly based on Muysken’s classification and Myers-Scotton’s MLF model. We may identify three major types of Chinese-English code-switching in the data analyzed in this paper: insertion, alternative code-switching and diglossia.
4.1. Insertion
According to Muysken (1995), insertion is a case in which a linguistic element from one language is inserted into the linguistic structure of another language and the inserted element may be either a phrasal constituent or a single word. In inserted code-switching, there are three types of constituents: ML islands, EL islands and ML+EL. In the situation of Chinese-English code-switching, Chinese is the matrix language and English the embedded one. From a linguistic perspective, insertion can be divided into phonological insertion, lexical and phrasal insertion, clausal insertion and discourse insertion.
4.1.1. Phonological insertion
Phonological insertion is the case in which English letters or sounds are inserted into a Chinese phrase or clause:
(1) 轻松生活从此开始！
北京银行网上理财——帮您将财富e网打尽。安全、高效、便捷的网上理财服务为您实现理财神话。
(财经，2009年刊，133页)
In this example, the matrix language of this ad is Chinese and the single English letter “e” is the embedded language, and hence the phrase “e网打尽” is a ML+EL constituent. As the English letter “e” is homophonous with the Chinese morpheme “一” in the idiom “一网打尽” (capture all in one net) , the clause “帮您将财富e网打尽” means “internet financial management will help you to capture all the wealth in one net” and the intended meaning of the whole ad may be easily understood as “ the Bank of Beijing will help you manage your finance successfully and perfectly”. The following is a similar example except that the EL element is a morpheme or word rather than a letter:
(2) 聚焦时尚新装 明媚春季风尚
第16届“广州（锦汉）服装、家纺及面料展览会”━━品牌发布SHOW场
(环球时尚资讯，2010/08/15，第48期，33页)
The ad is about an expo which would be held in Guangzhou. Here, the inserted English word “show” is homophonous with the Chinese character “秀”, so “show 场” means “秀场” in Chinese, which refers to a place to exhibit the products. As the Chinese character often collocates with “作”in “作秀”（show off）, the ML+EL constituent “show 场” makes this advertisement a bit ironical and funny.
4.1.2. Lexical and phrasal insertion
Lexical and phrasal insertion means that the inserted EL element is a word and phrase. For example:
(3) 信赖 经得起时间考验
我信 我选acer电脑
(中国新闻周刊，2010/09/06，41页)
This is an ad of acer computer in which the matrix language is Chinese and the EL element is “acer” which is the brand name of the computer. The following is another example:
(4) go. 到全世界，收集每一个国家
go. 是一个动词，简单，却蕴含着无比强大的能量。
(南方人物周刊，2009/03/23，第12期，41页)
It is an ad for VISA. The English word “go” is embedded here to enhance the dynamics of the Chinese text and the power of the product and/or service promoted by the ad: visa is everywhere in the world, and people can use visa wherever they are.
In the above two examples the inserted EL elements are both English words. Nowadays in China, it is a common practice, especially in the advertising enterprise, to insert English names or set phrases in Chinese discourse. For example:
(5) Grand Cherokee 在国内俗称大切诺基或大切，算起来他应该是起源于1083年American Motors 设计的Jeep Cherokee XJ （曾被国内玩家们亲切地称为小切）。1987年American Motors 被克莱斯勒收购以后，经过5年的努力，终于在1992年推出了第一代Grand Cherokee，并于一年后投产。据Motor Trend 统计，持续5年的生产使第一代Grand Cherokee 取得了将近170万的销量。
（汽车族，第56期，29页）
This a promotional discourse for the car named “Grand Cherokee” in which, “Grand Cherokee”, “American Motors”, “Jeep Cherokee XJ” and “Motor Trend”, as English phrases, are inserted intact into the Chinese discourse. Sometimes, an ad may employ lexical and phrasal insertions at the same time. For example:
(6) 日本的KAWAⅡ从这里发源！
“Kanebo Tokyo”柜台于4月16日盛大开幕，这里将成为史无前例的展现KAWAⅡ特色的柜台。柜台由Kanebo 旗下的 COFFRETD’ OR、SUI SAI、DEW SUPERIOR 三个品牌组成。开放式的柜台，顾客还可以在柜台够自由体验商品，受过专业培训的美容顾问提供适合每一位顾客、 并为之解决肌肤烦恼的护肤及彩妆技巧上的建议，传达来自Kanebo佳丽宝的最先端护肤技术和日本的最新彩妆趋势情报。
(瑞丽妆，2010/06/10，第49期，94页)
In all such cases, the names or set phrases are usually very well-known to the target audience and, to save the trouble of translation, the advertiser is only too ready to insert the EL elements into the Chinese grammatical structure giving rise to , many instances of ML+EL constituent.
4.1.3. Clausal insertion
Clausal insertion is a kind of code-switching in which one clause or sentence from the other language (EL) is inserted into the matrix language. In the case of Chinese-English code-switching, this means the insertion of an English clause or sentence into a Chinese discourse. This kind of code-switching is very similar to what Myers-Scotton refers to as the inter-sentential code-switching in her MLF model. See the following example:
(7) How to wear leather now
黑色精灵
09秋季，皮革以经典的方式回归，以一副复杂巧妙的姿态出现在我们面前，在这里，皮革几乎可以成为百搭面料。
(环球时尚资讯，2009/10/22，第28期，17页)
This ad tells the popularity of leather and how to wear leather beautifully. According to Myers-Scotton’s MLF model, the sentence “How to wear leather now” is an EL island which consists of EL morphemes or words only and which obeys the rules of the EL grammar. Here is another example:
(8) 无油新生魅力蜕变
R U ready?
(米娜，2010/11，15页)
It is an advertisement for the cosmetic “Clean clear”. The EL island “R U ready?” is the short for “Are you ready?”, and the whole ad means the cleansing foam of “Clean clear” will make your face not that oily and hence more charming. And so are you ready to have a try?
4.1.4. Discourse insertion
By discourse insertion we refer, in this paper, to the situation in which an English discourse, as an entire EL unit, is inserted into a Chinese (ML) discourse. For example:
(9) 格纹男装----格纹早已不再是90年代摇滚手的专利了，在时尚的演变中，格纹逐渐拥有了一种独有的亲和力，成为男装上的热门元素。
Plaid reaches its nirvana
Plaid is no longer just for 90s grunge icons like Cobain-it has now reached a level of sophistication in men’s fashion.
(环球时尚资讯，2009/06/16，第4期，16-17页)
The ad in (9) introduces the fashion trend of men’s dressing in which the Chinese and English discourses form the ML islands and the EL islands obeying their own grammatical rules respectively. Though the whole ad is almost half Chinese half English, considering the context in which it occurs, Chinese is still the matrix language and English the embedded language.
Though we have been giving a separate illustration and discussion to each type of insertion, advertisers often mix different types in a single ad. Consider the following example:
(10) 点亮你小小的梦想
Emo+ Brings You Selected Design
Emo+ 生活概念馆？这是一家并不大的小店，坐落在SOHO现代城。
这里闹中取静，聚集了店主人精心挑选的来自世界各地的设计名品：从意大利的Alessi 到美国的Suck UK; 从英国的Josephjoseph到以色列的M&B；从芬兰的Tonfisk到香港的Twemco、Monoone等等。
想要什么，单看你想为你的生活点亮怎样的梦想。
(瑞丽家，2010/05/30，第44期，85-86页)
In (10), the Chinese-English code-switching shows insertion on nearly all linguistic levels, including phonological (“M&B”), lexical (“SOHO”, “Alessi”, “Josephjoseph”, “Tonfisk”, “Twemco” and “Monoone”), phrasal (“Suck UK”), and clausal (“Emo+ Brings You Selected Design”).
4.2. Alternative code-switching
Muysken (1995) defines alternation as a switch from one code to another which may involve entire sentences, clauses or some peripheral elements. In this paper, alternative code-switching refers to the case in which more or less complete utterances from two or more languages appear alternately in the same advertising discourse. For example:
(11) Girl: 我的宝贝━━旺仔QQ糖！
Boy: Come on, baby! Come on, baby!
Girl: 你也要吃一粒吗？
Boy: Yes!
Girl & Boy: 旺仔QQ糖━━旺旺！
(CCTV2，2009/11/15，22：56)
The ad in (11) is in the form of a conversation between a girl and a boy. The code-switching happens between Chinese (ML) and English (EL) and the two languages are employed alternatively to produce the rhetorical effect of enhancing the popularity of the candy promoted in the ad. Sometimes, the alternation is merely between Chinese utterances or texts and their English translations:
(12) 第九届中国（深圳）国际批拍服装服饰交易会
The 9th China (Shenzhen) International Brand Clothing & Accessories Fair
2009深圳国际孕·婴·童产业博览会
2009 Shenzhen International Maternity & Clothing Expo
2009深圳国际纺织面料及辅料博览会
2009 Shenzhen International Trade Fair For Apparel Fabrics And Accessories
2009年7月9日-11日/July 9-11,2009
深圳会展中心
Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center
(环球时尚资讯, 2009/04/17, 第32期, 34-35页)
This type of code-switching may also be called “diglossia code-switching”, by which we mean, in this paper, stretches of Chinese, each with its English translation, occur alternatively in the same advertising discourse. The following is another example:
(13) 2010第十届上海纺织品面料、辅料博览会
The 10th Expo for Textile Fabric & Accessories Shanghai 2010
2010年12月16-18日
December 16, 2010 -18 Day
上海世贸商城
Shanghai Mart
上海励新展览有限公司
咨询：021-57633170
(环球时尚资讯, 2010/10/20, 第50期, 50-51页)
5. Motivations behind Chinese-English code-switching in ads
Verschueren（1999: 58) points out that it seems that at least three, hierarchically related key notions are needed to understand the process of ‘making choices’ as the base-line description of language use. The first notion is variability which is the property of language that defines the range of possibilities from which choices can be made. The second notion is negotiability which is the property of language responsible for the fact that choices are not made mechanically or according to strict rules or fixed form-function relationships, but rather on the basis of highly flexible principles and strategies. The third notion is adaptability which is the property of language which enables human beings to make negotiable linguistic choices from a variable range of possibilities in such a way as to approach points of satisfaction for communicative needs. This last notion is especially useful for us to account for code-switching in advertisements. Thus we may see the motivations behind the various types of code-switching discussed in this paper as adaptation to three factors: the linguistic reality, the social and psychological state of contemporary Chinese society.
5.1. Adaptation to the linguistic facts of Chinese and English
Adaptation to the linguistic facts here refers to the adaptation to the linguistic properties of Chinese and English either for accuracy or for convenience of expression. Chinese and English are very different languages, with the former being a Sino-Tibetan language and the latter an Indo-European language. Due to their own specific geographical positions, natural environment, social and cultural practices, each of the two languages has its own unique linguistic facts and it is often very hard to find exact or accurate equivalents in translation, and this gives rise to many instances of code-switching in advertisements. For example:
(14) 宝岛眼镜2010秋冬
结合四大专业权威及时尚
彩片品牌，
为你的精彩PARTY,
画龙点睛！
（米娜，2010/11，203页）
In (14), the advertiser inserts an English word “party” which in English refers to a social event often held at home where friends or neighbors get together to enjoy themselves by dancing, drinking, singing, talking and tasting delicious food and so on. Party is a very normal social activity in the western culture and its main purpose is for entertainment or fun. The nearest equivalent of “party” in Chinese is “聚会”. In China, the word “聚会” is traditionally a much more formal occasion where people get together for a specific purpose. There are some other Chinese expressions such as “聚一下”, “聚一聚” or “小聚” which are all verbal phrases. when we hear someone say “咱们几个今天晚上聚聚吧”，we would normally think that we are going to have a meal together tonight. Nowadays, with the increasingly frequent contact between the Chinese and western people, the Chinese phrase “聚会” has acquired a western flavor and many Chinese young people like to have a party where they can dance, eat, drink, talk, play games and so on. Nevertheless, in this ad, the advertiser still prefer the English word “party”, probably so as to sound exotic to the young people. The following is a similar example:
(15)Summer Bathroom Cool plan
卫浴间锁定海洋格调
最热的盛夏，没有哪种颜色比海洋感的蓝调，更适合卫浴间……
（瑞丽家，2010/08/30，第47期，103-104页）
It is very hard to find a Chinese equivalent for the English word “cool”. Though many people use the Chinese character “酷” to represent the meaning of “cool”, the two has nothing in common except their pronunciations. In Chinese dictionaries, “酷” means (1)cruel, brutal, oppressive, and (2) very, extremely; neither of the meanings has anything to do with what “cool” means in English. Therefore, the best choice for the advertiser is to switch to the English “cool”. We may account for the use of “vs” in (16) in the same way:
(16) 泡沫洁面VS 无泡洁面
哪种更好用？
（瑞丽妆，2010/07/30，第50期，13-14页）
The English word “vs” (the short form of “versus”) has the meaning of “PK” or “competing against” and it is still very difficult to find a Chinese equivalent to substitute “vs” here in this ad.
When composing the advertising discourse, the advertisers have to take space and cost into consideration. To achieve the best effect with low cost, the advertiser usually prefers the ad to be as concise and succinct as possible. Chinese-English code-switching can often help the advertisers to achieve this goal. Consider examples such as the following:
(17) 消费者心中的理想价位？
399元MP4导购
目前MP4市场销售火爆，厂家众多，优秀产品也不在少数。
很多消费者也把MP4列入了自己的购买计划中，但不少消费者犹豫在产品价格的定位上，100-200元的怕质量、做工和操作感不好，500以上的又觉得贵而没有必要，这款纽曼A36HD是个不错选择。
(数码前线，2010年09月上，第93期，15-16页)
A lot more words and space would have been needed if the advertiser of (17) had used the Chinese translations of “MP4” and “HD”: “便携式媒体播放器” and “高清晰度”. As “MP4” and “HD” are so familiar (actually more familiar than their Chinese counterparts) to Chinese people, the use of these two terms saves time and money not only for the advertiser but also for the potential consumers.
5.2. Adaptation to the social and psychological state of contemporary Chinese society
As we all know, language is the product of society and all language use takes place in specific socio-cultural context. As a result, any particular language and its use are bound to be determined by and reflect the geographical, political, economical, and cultural facts of the language community. The Chinese-English code-switching discussed in this paper is no exception and, on the one hand, it has to conform to the rules and conventions of ad as a discourse type and, on the other hand, it reflects the popularity, prestige and prevalence of the English language in the present Chinese society as a result of the more than 30 years economic reform and practice of open-door policy. Consider the following example:
(18) Canon
Delighting You Always 感动常在佳能
EOS，创造单反相机的传奇。
（南方人物周刊，2009/06，第24期，总第165期，4页）
It is the ad for the digital camera “Canon”. Chinese consumers are quite familiar with both its English name and its Chinese name “佳能”. The English word “Canon” has several meanings, such as “standard, rule, norm, principle, tenet; list, catalog”, and none of them is very interesting to the consumers. However, its Chinese translation “佳能” sounds very pleasant and attractive. The ad in its Chinese context should have every reason to have chosen “佳能” instead of “Canon”. It seems the most possible explanation is that the advertiser is trying to attract people who like anything exotic and fashionable.
With the development of economic reform and globalization, more and more foreign products are entering the Chinese market. In the increasingly fierce competition, producers are eager to promote the sale their products by all means. As English is nowadays a symbol of gentility, elegance, wealth, being well-bred and well educated in modern Chinese society, an English name almost always sounds modern, fashionable and more attractive. And that explains why advertisers often prefer to keep the original English brand names of foreign products in their ads. Consider the following example:
(19) Dior
北京百盛购物中心一层
上海梅隆镇广场
（瑞丽妆，2010/03/10，第46期，106页）
“Dior” is a very well-known cosmetic product and it is so popular in China that if the advertiser had used its Chinese translation he or she would not have been able to convey all the social meanings and values associated with the brand name in China. There are many similar examples in the data we analysed:
(20) 冲上的是素颜感裸装，眼线也绝对不会特别地突出，只是试用眼线笔描绘内眼线就OK了！
（米娜，2010/11，145页）
(21) 低碳Lifestyle
在生活中推崇简单却不失精致的低碳生活方式。
摒弃多余的纷繁冗杂，用lohas 的态度来装扮和点缀生活，平凡的日子也变得生动起来。
（瑞丽妆，2010/05/10，第48期，17-18页）
The motivation behind the use of the English word “OK” instead the Chinese equivalent “好的” or “可以” in (20) is very similar to the use of “Dior” in (19), that is, to add some foreign flavor to this advertising discourse. In (21) is an ad to advocate and promote the lifestyle of low carbon. There are two instances of Chinese-English code-switching to “lifestyle” and “lohas” with the latter specifying the former. The word “lohas” is a newly coined word in English which refers to a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. The Chinese translation of “lohas” is “乐活族”, which is also a new word in Chinese and which is often used to refer to a group of people practicing a healthy low carbon lifestyle and advocating a positive attitude towards life. The insertion of the two English words in the Chinese ad evidently has the effect of enhancing the modernity and universality of the lifestyle.
6. Conclusion
Chinese-English code-switching is a common phenomenon in contemporary Chinese advertising discourse, but it has received only sporadic studies. Though in the present paper we have conducted an analysis of the different types of code-switching and the general motivations behind them in the context of modern China, it is still a very humble investigation which can only provide a partial picture of the employment of code-switching in modern Chinese promoting discourse. It is especially so because of the relatively small amount of data analyzed which can only offer the analysts a very limited vision of the facts of code-switching in Chinese advertising discourse. Besides, this study mainly focuses on the classification and motivations of Chinese-English code-switching from a synchronic perspective; but there are many other important code-switching issues waiting to be investigated, for instance, code-switching between Chinese and languages other than English, comparative studies from a diachronic as well as synchronic perspective.
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