International Journal of Language & Linguistics

Translatability and the Message Imbedded in Code Switching
Aziza Saleh Alzabidi

Abstract
Language users find themselves obliged to use more than one language to adapt to some life necessities in some communities. They become bilingual or multilingual speakers who may use one code or tend to use code switching within the same communicative interaction. Bilingual and multilingual audience are expected to, directly, perceive the message of the speaker(s), and code switching, when used, is said to serve its purpose. In the case of the speaker and audience not sharing the same code(s), conscious translation can keep the target text audience in the same atmosphere of the source text with the speaker and the other audience - who share the speaker's code(s). Despite serious efforts, it is not easy to convey the speaker's imbedded message in code switching via translation. The task of the translator becomes more difficult when he has to deal with untranslatable imbedded messages. When the message behind the switch is not part of the complete package, which is the case in most interpretations, the communication will not be as successful as the partners hope.

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