Language Choices on Tanzanian Instagram

Abstract

This study examines multilingual practices on Instagram within Tanzania’s rapidly growing computer-mediated communication (CMC) landscape. Using a qualitative corpus-based approach, I analyzed 400 Instagram posts from 40 users and conducted five techno-biographical interviews to explore what shapes language choice and how it relates to content. Findings show that Tanzanian Instagram users draw on Swahili, English, Swanglish/Kiswanglish, Community Languages (CLs) and Foreign Languages (FLs) to communicate and construct online identities. Interview data indicate that language choice is influenced by the intended audience, post content, brand image, language accessibility, the original language of the material and relationships between interlocutors. Corpus patterns further reveal that Swahili dominates social issues & activism, science, current affairs, entertainment & pop culture, politics and religion posts, while English is more common in lifestyle, professional, and personal-connection posts.

Keywords:

• Multilingualism Keyword: Multilingualism
• Language choice Keyword: Language choice
• Instagram Keyword: Instagram
• Tanzania Keyword: Tanzania
• Computer-mediated communication (CMC) Keyword: Computer-mediated communication (CMC)
• Translanguaging Keyword: Translanguaging
• Social media discourse Keyword: Social media discourse

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