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WE in ME: The pragmatic functions of English lyrics in Macao original Cantopop songs in 2016-2021
Chan Ka Lon; Lei Ut Meng
2022-12-07
Size of Audience30
Type of SpeakerVirtual Conference Presentation
Abstract

Like Hong Kong, Macao English (ME) is an important medium of communication permeating different sectors in the communities of Macao. Among all genres, popular music in Cantonese (Cantopop) is one where Englishization via Cantonese-English code-switching is seen as a norm. Under the prevalence of World Englishes (WE), genres of text associated with popular culture ranging in different languages have been studied (e.g., Lee & Kachru, 2006; Lee & Moody, 2012; Ng, 2020). Frameworks for analyzing code-switching in pop culture were launched for a better theoretical explanation of the phenomenon (e.g., Chan, 2009; Li, 2000; Lin, 2009). Despite the established effort of previous studies about Englishization in languages under various contexts, Cantopop is still in its infancy, and rarely are data gathered in the context of Macao. With close observation and detailed analysis, the convergence of English and Cantonese in Macao Cantonese pop songs is not a random act, but a systemic phenomenon well-related to linguistic factors. This study adapted the refined analytical framework of Ng (2020) in analyzing Hong Kong Cantopop, encompassing the features of Cantonese-English code-switching from textual, pragmatic, and social perspectives. In previous empirical studies, researchers usually focused on a corpus-assisted discourse analysis study (e.g., Chan, 2009, 2011; Ng, 2020). Even though there are researchers who have considered how people interpret the functions of code-switching in the lyrics, the target participants are musicians (Cheung, 2020). Few studies have been conducted on the interpretation of the general public. To complement the research gap with empirical evidence, a mixed-methods approach was adopted with an analysis of 15 award-winning songs of local music awards in Macau between the years of 2016 and 2021, together with interpretation obtained from surveys, semi-structured interviews and a focus-group interview with members of the music circle and the general public. The result indicated that English in Macao Cantopop is most often perceived to carry the function of aesthetic effects, expedience, conveying thematic meanings, avoiding embarrassment, and emphasis on emotions. Moreover, different positions and formats of code-switching between lyrics are found to be correlated with different pragmatic effects. This research offers a more comprehensive picture of Cantonese-English code-switching in Macao Cantopop with different aspects observed and details given.

KeywordMacau Original Cantopop Code-switching Pragmatic Functions Positions Of Code-switching Format Of Code-switching
Conference Date2022-12-07
Conference PlaceVirtual
Language英語English
Document TypePresentation
CollectionFaculty of Arts and Humanities
ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTRE
Affiliation1.University of Macau
2.University of Macau
Recommended Citation
GB/T 7714
Chan Ka Lon,Lei Ut Meng. WE in ME: The pragmatic functions of English lyrics in Macao original Cantopop songs in 2016-2021, 2022-12-07.
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