The Use of Code-Mixing by Edu-Influencers in Social Media: A Communication Strategy in Sociolinguistic Perspective

This study investigates the use of code-mixing in educational content produced by edu-influencers on social media from a sociolinguistic and digital discourse perspective. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, the study analyzes ten selected utterances containing Indonesian–English code-mixing. The classification of code-mixing types is based on Muysken’s (2000) typology, namely insertion, alternation, and congruent lexicalization. The findings reveal that insertion is the most dominant type of code-mixing, indicating that Indonesian functions as the matrix language while English elements are embedded mainly in the form of academic terms. Alternation and congruent lexicalization occur less frequently and are used primarily for emphasis and stylistic variation. Functionally, code-mixing serves not only linguistic purposes but also social and symbolic functions, such as conveying academic authority, modernity, and global orientation. In the context of social media, code-mixing functions as a digital communication strategy that helps edu-influencers construct an educative and credible online persona while enhancing audience engagement. This study highlights that code-mixing in educational social media content reflects the intersection of language practices, digital identity, and contemporary educational discourse.
Keywords: Eode-Mixing, Edu-Influencer, Social Media, Sociolinguistics

Eode-Mixing, Edu-Influencer, Social Media, Sociolinguistics, Digital Discourse

1. Adinda, R., Sosrohadi, S., Syafitri, B. A., & Andini, C. (2025). Cognitive And Cultural Barriers In Synonim Acquisition: A Psycolinguistic Study Of Indonesian Learners Of Korean. TPM–Testing, Psychometrics, Methodology in Applied Psychology, 32(4), 881-888. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Androutsopoulos, J. (2014). Mediatization and sociolinguistic change: Key concepts, research traditions, open issues. In J. Androutsopoulos (Ed.), Mediatization and sociolinguistic change (pp. 3–48). Berlin: De Gruyter. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Aswad, M., Rahman, F., Said, I. M., Hamuddin, B., & Nurchalis, N. F. (2019). A software to increase English learning outcomes: An acceleration model of English as the second language. The Asian EFL Journal, 26(6.2), 157. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Bourdieu, P. (1991). Language and symbolic power. Cambridge: Polity Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Brown, P., & Levinson, S. C. (1987). Politeness: Some universals in language usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Davis, S., & Yi, J. (2022). Double tap, double trouble: Instagram, teachers, and profit. E-learning and Digital Media, 19(3), 320-339. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Fairclough, N. (1995). Critical discourse analysis: The critical study of language. London: Longman. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Gumperz, J. J. (1982). Discourse strategies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Herring, S. C. (2007). A faceted classification scheme for computer-mediated discourse. Language@Internet, 4, Article 1. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Holmes, J. (2013). An introduction to sociolinguistics (4th ed.). London: Routledge. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Myers-Scotton, C. (1993). Social motivations for codeswitching: Evidence from Africa. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Muysken, P. (2000). Bilingual speech: A typology of code-mixing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Rahman, F. (2018). The constraints of foreign learners in reading English literary works: A case study at Hasanuddin University. Journal of Arts and Humanities, 7(2), 01-12. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Rifai, M. (2025). Transformation of Traditional Teachers into Educational Influencers in Schools. Journal of Social Science and Education Research, 2(5), 15-25. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Sosrohadi, S. A., & Wulandari, S. (2022). The use of denotation and connotation meanings in “Hotrod 3G+” XL advertisements in the image of social class communities: A semiotics analysis. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Publications, 12, 114–120. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Sukmawaty, Rahman, F. F., & Andini, C. (2022). Covid-19 pandemic and axiology of communication: A study of linguistic phenomena. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, 7(4). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Syukri, M., Sosrohadi, S., & Amin, F. H. (2023). Building Interpersonal Communication Through The Local History Dramatic Role Play. ELS Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities, 6(3), 557-566. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Tagg, C. (2015). Exploring digital communication: Language in action. London: Routledge. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Wardhaugh, R. (2006). An introduction to sociolinguistics (5th ed.). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Weda, S., Atmowardoyo, H., Rahman, F., & Sakti, A. E. F. (2021). Linguistic aspects in intercultural communication (IC) practices at a higher education institution in Indonesia. Eroupean Language Scientific Journal, 14(2), 76-91. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Weda, S., Rahman, F., Samad, I. A., Gunawan, F., & Fitriani, S. S. (2022). How Millennials Can Promote Social Harmony through Intercultural Communication at Higher Education. Randwick International of Social Science Journal, 3(1), 231-243. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• The Impact of Ownership Structure on Dividend Payout Policy of Listed Plantation Companies in Sri Lanka
• Urban Sustainability in North-East India: A Study through the lens of NER-SDG index
• Performance Assessment of Predictive Forecasting Techniques for Enhancing Hospital Supply Chain Efficiency in Healthcare Logistics
• The Fractured Self in Julian Barnes' Postmodern Fiction: Identity Crisis and Deflation in Metroland and the Sense of an Ending
• Impact of Flood on the Employment, Labour Productivity and Migration of Agricultural Labour in North Bihar