Localizing English for Artistic Expression: A Descriptive Analysis of Cultural References in Pakistani Illustrators' Instagram Posts
Keywords:
World Englishes, code-mixing, tag- mixing, language variation, Pakistani EnglishAbstract
Tag mixing is a type of code-mixing that plays an important role in artistic expression in Pakistani English. Many sociolinguistic studies have studied code-mixing in different languages and settings. Few studies have explored its function or role in fostering creativity. Some scholars believe creativity comes from language variation. Research on this idea remains limited. This study examines how Pakistani Instagram artists mix Urdu and English to create unique captions. These captions use culturally important Urdu nouns to evoke humor, nostalgia, and emotional connections. They also reflect social trends, stereotypes, family dynamics, and religious themes. Tag mixing acts as a powerful tool for storytelling, building cultural identity, and connecting with the audience. This research focuses on code-mixing as a creative method. It contributes to the discussion on World English and highlights the creative choices of Pakistani Instagrammers in the digital world.
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DHSS is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC 4.0). This license permits users to use, reproduce, disseminate, or display the article provided that the authors are the original creators and that the reuse is restricted to non-commercial purposes, i.e., is attributed to research or educational use, provided that the work is properly cited.
