Code-Switching, Code-Mixing, and Stylistic Identity in the Teen Drama Asmara Gen-Z
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30587/inatesol.v2i2.11026Keywords:
Code-Switching; Code-Mixing, Bilingual Youth Discourse, Gen Z Linguistics, Teen Drama, Stylistic IdentityAbstract
This research investigates Indonesian–English bilingual practices in the teen drama Asmara Gen Z, focusing on code-switching, code-mixing, and the use of slang and idiomatic expressions. The study is situated within the broader landscape of multilingual youth communication in digital-era Indonesia, where bilingual speech functions as a marker of identity, emotion, and stylistic preference. The research aims to describe the structural patterns and sociolinguistic functions of bilingual alternation in selected scenes, and to interpret how these linguistic choices construct Gen Z stylistic identity. Using a qualitative descriptive design, purposive sampling was applied to select seven emotionally salient scenes. Data were transcribed and analyzed using Poplack’s code-switching typology, Muysken’s code-mixing model, and Appel and Muysken’s sociolinguistic functions, alongside an examination of slang and idiomatic expressions. The findings show that inter-sentential switching and insertional mixing dominate the characters’ bilingual repertoire, especially during moments of conflict, vulnerability, and romantic tension. Bilingual alternation frequently fulfills expressive, directive, and poetic functions, while Gen Z–oriented slang and idioms intensify emotional stance and index youth identity. Overall, the study demonstrates that teen dramas not only mirror but also stylize contemporary multilingual youth culture, highlighting how Indonesian Gen Z use bilingualism to navigate relational, emotional, and social dynamics.
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