Code Switching Style in Multilingual Literature in Malaysia

In this article, the relationship between code-switching and social identity are discussed. It is believed that codeswitching is used to reflect the identity of writer and reader. Code-switching has become a norm among speakers in Malaysia. This article will explore (i) the pattern of code-switching, and (ii) the pragmatic function of code-switching in the selected novels. The analysis of code-switching is based on Milroy and Musyken. The result of this study has shown that intra-tag is actually much more productive than inter-tag. The characters tend to choose Malay-English in a formal situation and only Malay in informal situation. This study found that most of the characters in the Malay novels are dominant bilingual, that is dominant in one language. This paper has contributed to an understanding of the style of code-switching in multilingual literature in Malaysia