Code-switching in Thai podcast discourse on YouTube: Types and pragmatic functions in People You May Know (PYMK)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62819/jel.2026.1853Keywords:
bilingual discourse, code-switching, digital media, pragmatic functions, YouTube podcastsAbstract
This article examines Thai–English code-switching in Thai podcast discourse on YouTube by describing the distribution of switching types and the pragmatic functions associated with English resources in naturally occurring talk. The dataset comprises five high-visibility episodes of People You May Know (PYMK), selected from the channel’s most-viewed episodes at the time of data collection. Using a mixed qualitative–quantitative approach, code-switching instances (N = 65) were coded for switching type (intra-sentential, inter-sentential, and tag switching) and primary pragmatic function (emphasis, clarification, quotation/reporting, humor, and identity/stance, with one overlap case). The results show that intra-sentential switching occurs across all sampled episodes, whereas inter-sentential and tag switching are less consistently distributed. Systematic type–function alignments are observed within this high-visibility subset: inter-sentential switching clusters with quotation/reporting, while tag switching is associated with humour as stance punctuation. Given the modest quantitative scope (five episodes; N = 65), the quantitative component is treated descriptively, and claims are framed as patterns within this high-visibility subset rather than as population-level generalisations. These alignments suggest that code-switching supports interactional organisation in three ways: embedded English tokens frequently package stance (emphasis and identity/stance), bounded English units support footing shifts into quotation/reporting, and short tags function as humour-oriented stance punctuation that can project alignment. Overall, the analysis suggests that English in PYMK is used not only for lexical insertion but also for interactional work such as strengthening stance, providing compact labels, foregrounding reportable material, and framing talk for an overhearing audience in digitally mediated, public-facing discourse.
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