Code-switching is a sociolinguistic phenomenon that refers to the shift between
various languages in speaking or writing and it is employed by speakers or authors for
different linguistic, social and political reasons. This study examines the significance
of code-switching in the formulation of diasporic identity in the Syrian poet and
translator Abed Ismael's translation of the Jordanian-British author Fadia Faqir'sMy
NameIs Salma (2007). The researchers propose that authors in diaspora use code-
switching so as to return home linguistically/textually. However, we argue that the use
of code-switching poses problems in the translation of the source text. - The
methodology in this study follows a descriptive approach to analyze data concerning
code-switching thatFaqir employs in the original novel and their translations by
Ismael. The researchers classify and list the codes used by both writers and study the
connections between them. Faqir’s usage of code-switching is based on her
construction of Arab culture as a culture of shame which is foreign to the English
culture. Via the employment of code-switching, Ismael also shows that everything is
foreign for Salma in England. Exoticism and fragmentation lead to a state of
indecisiveness and in-betweenness that demands sacrificing identity, language, and
even home.

Title

Hebron

Publisher

Hebron University

Publisher Country

Palestine

Publication Type

Both (Printed and Online)

Volume

--

Year

--

Pages

--