A Sociolinguistics Analysis Of Code-Mixing In Daily Conversations Of English Language Education Department Students

This study investigated the reasons behind the use of code-mixing and the challenges faced by English Language Education Department students in their daily conversations at UIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, the study involved six students from the 2022 batch who were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s qualitative data analysis procedures, including data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. The findings revealed four main reasons for using code-mixing: academic influence, ease of expression, habitual exposure, and comfortability. Students frequently mixed Indonesian and English because of their continuous exposure to English during lectures, classroom discussions, presentations, and other academic activities. They also considered certain English expressions to be more natural, precise, and effective for conveying ideas and maintaining the flow of communication. In addition, the study identified two main challenges: communication difficulties due to listeners’ limited English proficiency and the need to repeat, explain, or translate English expressions into Indonesian to maintain mutual understanding. Overall, the findings indicate that code-mixing has become a natural communication strategy among English Language Education students in both academic and informal settings, supporting sociolinguistic perspectives that bilingual language choice is influenced by social context, communicative needs, and interactional purposes.