Indonesian Language Use Among the Multilingual Community in Kampung Arab, Surabaya, East Java: A Sociolinguistic Study

Abstract

This study aims to describe the use of the Indonesian language among the multilingual community in Kampung Arab, Surabaya, East Java, covering the forms of usage, its application across various language domains, and the influencing factors. A qualitative approach with a descriptive design was employed to examine the community's daily speech practices. Data consisted of verbal utterances from the multilingual community, gathered through the Simak Libat Cakap (SLC)—an observational participatory conversation technique—as well as interviews, recordings, and note-taking. Data analysis was conducted using a sociolinguistic framework, specifically applying Joshua Fishman’s theory of language choice. The results indicate that Indonesian language usage manifests in the forms of single-code usage, code-switching, and code-mixing. This lingua franca is predominantly used in occupational and public domains as a medium for cross-cultural communication. Key factors influencing the use of Indonesian include participant backgrounds, the subject matter of the conversation, and the communication setting. The findings demonstrate that the multilingual ecosystem reinforces the role of Indonesian as a unifying force for a community living alongside regional languages.