A Descriptive Analysis of Arabic Code-Switching in the Sermons of Pentecostal-Background Muslim Converts in Lagos

The conversion of individuals from Pentecostal Christian backgrounds to Islam in urban Lagos creates a distinctive sociolinguistic context in which new converts navigate between prior religious linguistic repertoires and newly acquired Arabic Islamic discourse conventions. This study analyses patterns of Arabic code-switching in the public and private religious speech of Muslim converts from Pentecostal backgrounds in Lagos, focusing on the functions, frequencies, and linguistic features of Arabic insertions in otherwise English or Yoruba discourse. Using a qualitative linguistic ethnographic methodology, the research records and transcribes the religious speech of fifteen converts during mosque lessons, informal religious conversations, and small group study sessions over a six-month observation period. Instances of Arabic code-switching are identified, classified by function, and analysed for phonological and morphological accuracy. The study finds that converts switch to Arabic most frequently for du'a, salutations, and Quranic citations, reflecting the domains where Arabic is socially obligatory in Islamic discourse. However, significant phonological adaptation and occasional hybrid Arabic-English constructions are documented, reflecting the influence of prior English-medium religious socialisation. The findings contribute to the sociolinguistics of religious conversion and illuminate the processes of Arabic acquisition among non-heritage Muslim learners. Keywords: Code-switching, Arabic, Muslim converts, Lagos, sociolinguistics.