The Functions of Code-Switching in the Interaction of the Cartoon Characters in 'Dora the Explorer'

This paper investigates code-switching from Standard Arabic into English in six episodes of the TV cartoon series "Dora the Explorer." The significance of this study is that it will provide an in-depth understanding of the strategies and structures of code-switching used to address children in order to teach them English. The study addresses two research questions: 1) What are the patterns of code-switching found in the interaction of the cartoon characters in "Dora the Explorer?" 2) What is the function of code-switching in each pattern? Quantitative analysis was used to analyze the frequency of each pattern of code-switching, while qualitative analysis was used to determine the functions of code-switching. The results show several patterns of code-switching into English: code-switching from Arabic to English without translation; Arabic lexical items followed by an English translation; English lexical items followed by an Arabic translation; translation from Arabic into English in two turns; and metadiscursive code-switching. English lexical items are introduced through code-switching in each episode. English words without translation account for the highest percentage of code-switching. In the code-switching to English, some English units are permanent, while some are context units that depend on the episode topic: these include basic formulaic and non-formulaic expressions. Lexical items for greeting, appreciation, and evaluation are the most frequent pragmatic functions of code-switching. Further research is recommended on code-switching in other TV animated series in other languages to determine the patterns of code-switching and the part of speech that is the focus of switching.