Preferred Name
Mwesah Mpundu Kapesa
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
ORCID
https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9867-7401
Date of Graduation
5-14-2026
Semester of Graduation
Spring
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
School of Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication
First Advisor
Laura Miller
Second Advisor
Jen Almjeld
Third Advisor
Justiss Wilder Burry
Fourth Advisor
Jennifer Lang-Rigal
Abstract
This study investigates how language choices in Zambian social media discourse construct identity, frame narratives, and influence audiences. Although major social media platforms are predominantly English and Eurocentric, Zambia is a highly multilingual society, creating tension between global linguistic norms and local language practices. Despite growing scholarship on digital discourse, limited research examines how Zambian users navigate multilingual communication online, particularly regarding identity construction, rhetorical framing, and audience engagement. Using a qualitative research design grounded in discourse analysis and informed by critical discourse analysis (Fairclough, 1995) and sociolinguistic theory (Gee, 2014), the study collected two weeks of Facebook data. User‑generated comments on every post made during this period across four page types: media, political, entertainment, and transnational, were analyzed. A total of 252,340 comments were purposively sampled, 59,233 in Zambian languages and 192,981 in English. Analysis combined qualitative interpretation with descriptive quantitative insights on language distribution. Findings show English is the dominant language of interaction, reflecting its role as Zambia’s official language and a global lingua franca. However, Zambian languages such as Bemba and Nyanja remain significantly present. Users frequently engage in code‑switching and translanguaging, drawing on multiple linguistic resources to communicate effectively and signal identity. The study also finds that users employ diverse rhetorical strategies, including emotional appeals, humor, sarcasm, and culturally embedded expressions, to frame issues and influence audiences. Language choice shapes identity construction: English use often indexes educated, modern, or sophisticated personas, enabling broader participation, while local languages foster deeper, community‑based interaction. Overall, language use in Zambian social media discourse is dynamic and multifunctional, serving as a key resource for identity construction, persuasion, and audience engagement. The study recommends more deliberate and inclusive approaches to multilingualism in digital spaces; integrating African languages into technological systems such as predictive text, translation tools, and speech‑to‑text applications; incorporating digital discourse analysis into academic curricula; expanding research to platforms such as TikTok, WhatsApp, and X; and conducting comparative studies across regions, age groups, and diasporic communities. It further calls for improved technological support for African languages, culturally aware moderation systems, and sentiment‑analysis research in multilingual contexts to deepen understanding of the relationships between language, identity, and power in African digital environments.
