CODE MIXING AS A STRATEGY FOR MASTERING VOCABULARY FOR FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS OF THE JAPANESE STUDY PROGRAM IN MEDAN
Keywords:
code-mixing, vocabulary mastery, JapaneseAbstract
Conservatively, code mixing is viewed as a form of deviation from good language, as mixing the mother tongue with other languages when communicating is viewed as undermining the mother tongue’s authenticity. On the other hand, this linguistic phenomenon can serve as a strategy for mastering vocabulary when learning a foreign language. This paper examines the use of code-mixing forms by junior university students learning Japanese. This paper employs a qualitative research approach and a descriptive method. The data consist of sentences with code-mixed forms derived from the speeches of first-year Japanese language students at Universitas Harapan Medan in the conversation class (kaiwa) and the result sheet of the evaluation of vocabulary mastery. According to the results of this study, the lecturer uses nominal, adjective, and verbal sentence code mixing when communicating with students in the classroom. Using these code-mixing forms demonstrates the effect of enhancing students' Japanese vocabulary comprehension. In conclusion, code-mixing can be used as one of the instructional strategies for teaching Japanese to elementary school students.