ABSTRACT

African language press plays important linguistic roles including language development, maintenance and pedagogy. However, Zimbabwe’s African language press has struggled to exist in a highly competitive print media market dominated by English language newspapers. For that reason, they have resorted to eccentric reporting styles including code mixing. Although this linguistic practice is perceived as language corruption and retrogressive, it is commonplace in Kwayedza, an African language tabloid that prints in Shona. Deploying code switching, poststructuralism and political economy of the media perspectives, this article critiques the use of code mixing and its implications on the existence of the newspaper. The article demonstrates how African language press struggle to balance the cultural function of language maintenance and commercial interests. The study shows that Kwayedza deploys code-mixed lingo to connect with readers by using language synonymous with everyday discourse and to close language gaps in reporting specialised news. The article provides insights into African language press’ response to the society’s complex sociolinguistic realities and extends debates on language use and the survival strategies of African language press in a highly competitive and predominantly English language print media market.

摘要

非洲语言出版社发挥着重要的语言作用，包括语言发展、维护和教学。然而，津巴布韦的非洲语言媒体在英语报纸主导的竞争激烈的印刷媒体市场中举步维艰。因此，他们采用了古怪的报告风格，包括代码混合。尽管这种语言做法被认为是语言腐败和倒退，但在夸耶扎却很常见，一份用绍纳语印刷的非洲语言小报。本文运用代码转换、后结构主义和媒体政治经济学的视角，批评了代码混合的使用及其对报纸存在的影响。文章展示了非洲语言媒体如何努力平衡语言维护的文化功能和商业利益。研究表明夸耶扎部署混合代码的行话，通过使用与日常话语同义的语言与读者建立联系，并缩小报道专业新闻时的语言差距。本文深入探讨了非洲语言媒体对社会复杂的社会语言现实的反应，并扩展了关于非洲语言媒体在竞争激烈且以英语为主的印刷媒体市场中的语言使用和生存策略的辩论。