The language of praise: Exploring Urdu, English code switching in compliments among Pakistani undergraduate students

Abstract

This paper explores Urdu- English code switching in compliments among Pakistani undergraduate students. Based on the given frameworks in connection with pragmatic communication and bilingual interaction (Rafiq, Chaudhary, and Fazal, 2022; Tariq and Zahid, 2024), the studies will examine the patterns, frequency, or social motivation behind the usage of the Urdu and English language in the exchange of compliments by students. The data was gathered using a mixed-method of a combination of a closed- questions questionnaire and Discourse Completion Test. The qualitative results indicated that code-switching is an expression of the inclination of students to be polite, contemporary, and socially up to date to coexist with peers, but not to lose cultural closeness to the language Urdu. Overall, the research concludes the necessity of teaching professionals to see code-switching as a natural and significant part of communicative competence of students. The results provide a clue to those involved in curriculum development and language teaching to incorporate pragmatic awareness, sociolinguistic sensitivity, and bilingual patterns of communication in the classroom teaching. This kind of pedagogical sensitivity can empower the students to survive in multilingual interactions that would be authentic as well as confident.