Code-Switching Practices of YouTube Educational Content Creators Using Ceblish

Abstract

Language is a dynamic tool for communication, particularly in multilingual contexts where switching between languages aids understanding. This study examined how YouTube educational content creators use Ceblish—a mix of Cebuano and English—to enhance clarity and engagement in digital instruction. It explored the types of code-switching patterns, their alignment with accommodation strategies, their impact on audience engagement and comprehension, and their role as a scaffolding tool for linguistic diversity and knowledge transfer. Additionally, the study aimed to develop a Digital Ceblish Pedagogical Guide for effective multilingual teaching in both online and traditional classrooms. The study employed a sociolinguistic discourse analysis grounded in Clarke and Braun’s thematic approach. To gather the data, seven publicly available YouTube lecture-style videos featuring Cebuano language instruction that utilized Ceblish were purposively selected as data sources. Specifically, the research environment was the YouTube platform, where the videos were carefully transcribed and systematically analyzed. Moreover, a researcher-developed coding guide served as the primary instrument and was validated by a panel of experts to ensure reliability and credibility. Subsequently, the data were analyzed through thematic coding, which was aligned with Poplack’s Code-Switching Typology, Giles’ Communication Accommodation Theory, and Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory. Findings showed that inter- and intra-sentential code-switching were the most frequent patterns, effectively simplifying concepts, clarifying explanations, and sustaining engagement. These strategies aligned with convergence and maintenance principles under Communication Accommodation Theory and served as scaffolding within Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development. Consequently, the study concluded that Ceblish enhances comprehension, inclusivity, and cultural identity in digital learning. Therefore, educators are encouraged to integrate bilingual strategies like Ceblish in online teaching, learners are advised to embrace bilingual input to strengthen understanding and flexibility, and future researchers may explore its use across other digital and traditional learning contexts.