A Linguistic Analysis of Code-Switching in Pakistani Billboard Advertisements

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze the sociolinguistic concept of code-switching in Pakistani billboard advertisements. The textual messages in billboard ads are usually drafted very carefully but sometimes there are messages which are used without considering the nature of the ad. The focus of the study is to identify the dominant language in billboards and the linguistic categories which are most commonly employed for code-switching. Forty-one billboards are examined out of which 20 are identified for code-switching and are further scrutinized for linguistic analysis. The qualitative method is used, and a descriptive approach is adopted for the textual analysis of billboard advertisements. The findings of the study indicate the dominance and prevalence of the English language over the Urdu language in billboard advertisements. In almost half of the billboards, advertisers used code-switching, and the English language is embedded in the Urdu language to make slogans interesting and appealing. Researchers are recommended to analyze the impact of such code switching advertising media on youth and on their daily linguistic practices.