ENGLISH CODE-SWITCHING IN THE SPEECH OF THE DIGITAL GENERATION: THE CASE OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

The rapid expansion of digital technologies and global communication has significantly influenced the linguistic behavior of young people. One of the most noticeable phenomena is the increasing use of English elements in everyday speech through code-switching practices. This article examines the characteristics, functions, and sociolinguistic factors of English code-switching in the speech of university students as representatives of the digital generation. The study aims to identify the most common patterns of code-switching and explore the motivations behind the incorporation of English lexical units into native-language discourse. The research employed qualitative and quantitative methods, including questionnaires and observations conducted among university students. The findings indicate that English code-switching is primarily associated with digital communication, academic activities, social media interactions, and the influence of global popular culture. Students tend to switch codes to express modern concepts, demonstrate group identity, enhance communicative efficiency, and compensate for lexical gaps. The study highlights that code-switching among university students reflects broader processes of globalization and digitalization affecting language use. The results contribute to contemporary sociolinguistic research and provide insights into the evolving language practices of the younger generation in multilingual contexts.