CODE SWITCHING IN THE TOBA BATAK WEDDING CEREMONY

This study deals with code switching in the Toba Batak wedding ceremony. The aims are to find out: 1) the types of code switching used in the Toba Batak wedding ceremony, 2) how the participants switch language in the process of Toba Batak wedding ceremony, and 3) reason why the participants switch language in the process of Toba Batak wedding ceremony. The data were obtained from the utterances of participants which contain code switching during the process of Toba Batak wedding ceremony precisely in Marhaban, replying and exchanging the verses of rhymes, exchanging of Tepak, and upah-upah stages. They were analyzed by using some steps as normally applied in descriptive qualitative method. The instruments of data collection were audio visual recorder. First, the researcher selected utterances of participants in Toba Batak wedding ceremony which contain code switching as the data. Second, the utterances were classified based on Romain’s theory about types of code switching namely Inter sentential code switching, Intra sentential code switching and Tag code switching. Then, the utterances which contain code switching were categorized based on what languages which were used by the participants. The findings of the study indicate that; a) there are 20 utterances which contain Inter sentential code switching, 39 utterances which contain Intra sentential code switching and 4 utterances which contain Tag code switching. b) Participants in Toba Batak wedding ceremony mix some languages based on participants’ tribes which involved in the process of Toba Batak wedding ceremony and they also adjust the situation and the condition of the people which involved in the process of wedding ceremony. c) There are three reasons why participants switch their languages during the process of Toba Batak wedding ceremony namely the differences of family’s tribes, religion factor and place of wedding ceremony be held.