A presentation onCode-switching

Prepared by :Mojahid BillahID No:UG07-26-12-011

Prepared for: Afroza Aziz SochunaAssistant Professor

Department of EnglishState university of Bangladesh

The emergence of code switching

The history of code switching research in sociocultural linguistics is often

dated from Bloom and Gumperz’s (1972) “Social meaning in linguistic

structures” .

However, by 1972 the term “code switching” was well attested in the

literature, and several studies in linguistic anthropology and sociolinguistics

prefigured later code switching research in sociocultural linguistics. An

important base for code switching research in the field of linguistics is Uriel

Weinreich’s (1953) Languages in Contact. One of those inspired by

Weinreich’s book was Hans Vogt, whose “Language Contacts” (1954) is

cited as the first article to use the term “code-switching” in the field of

linguistics (Alvarez-Cáccamo 1998; Benson 2001).

.

Code-switching in itself is perhaps not a

linguistic phenomenon, but rather a psychological one,

and its causes are obviously extra- linguistic. But

bilingualism is of great interest to the linguist

because it is the condition of what has been

called interference between languages. [Hans Vogt

1954:368]

Vogt ,assumes that code switching is not only natural,

but common. He suggests that all languages – if not all

language users – experience language contact, and that

contact phenomena, including language alternation, are

an important element of language change.

What is Code Switching?

The term code switching (or, as it is sometimes written, code-switching or

code switching)is broadly discussed and used in linguistics and a variety of

related fields. Code-switching is the alternation between two codes

(languages and/or dialects), between people who share those particular

codes. Choices about how code-switching manifests itself are determined by

a number of social and linguistic factors. It is quite typical in multicultural

and immigrant populations. Code-switching can take on several forms

including alteration of sentences, phrases from both languages, and

switching in a long narrative. In normal conversations between two

bilinguals, code-switching consists of eighty-four percent single word

switches, ten percent phrase switches, and six percent clause switching

(Skiba, 1997, para. 2).

Reasons for Code-Switching

In some situations, code-switching is done deliberately to exclude a

person from a conversation. It is seen as a sign of solidarity within a group,

and it is also assumed that all speakers in a conversation must be bilingual in

order for code-switching to occur. Bilinguals do not usually translate from the

weaker language to the stronger one, and is used most often when a word

doesn't "come". Code-switching is not a language interference based on the fact that

it supplements speech. It provides continuity in speech rather than

presenting an interference when used because of an inability of expression.

Code-switching can be used in a variety of degrees, whether it be used at

home with family and friends, or used with superiors at the workplace (Lipski,

1985, p. 23).

code switching is seen as the medium to convey both social and

linguistic meanings. According to Gumperz (pg. 144, 1982) lists

examples of situations created to convey meaning as given below:

•to appeal to the literate

•to appeal to the illiterate

•to convey precise meaning

•to ease communication, i.e., utilizing the shortest and the easiest

route

•to negotiate with greater authority

•to capture attention, i.e. stylistic, emphatic, emotional

•to emphasize a point

•to communicate more effectively

•to identify with a particular group

•to close the status gap

•to establish goodwill and support

code switching can also be listed according to the functions that

they try to accomplish. Among these, the following ten functions

have been described in the professional literature (Malik, 1994):

•Lack of Facility

•Lack of Register

•Mood of the Speaker

•To emphasize a point

•Habitual Experience

•Semantic significance

•To show identity with a group

•To address a different audience

•Pragmatic reasons

•To attract attention.

Communication

to ease communication, utilizing the shortest

and the easiest route to communicate more

effectively to establish goodwill and support

one wishes to create a certain

communication effect one wishes to exclude

another person from the dialogue

Conceptual

some experiences have only been

experienced in one of the languages a

misunderstanding has to be clarified

habitual experience semantic significance

Emphasis

to capture attention, stylistic, emphatic,

emotional

to emphasize a point one wants to make a

point

to emphasize a point to attract attention

Interlocution

to appeal to the literate

to appeal to the illiterate

to close the status gap

one wishes to express group solidarity

to show identity with a group

to address a different audience

Some example of code switching

While observing the classrooms few queries and statements of the

learners are noted down, such as-

i) Mam, exam er jonno kon topicgulo beshi important?

(Mam,

which topics are most important for exam?)

ii) Sir, topic ta clear hossena, abar repeat korben please? (Sir, the

topic is not getting clear, could you please repeat it?)

iii) Aj rastay onek jam silo, tai late hoye gelo. ( It had severe jam

today on road, so it is late)

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

possitive negetive

Impact of code switching on people:

Attitude

The term attitude is itself very difficult to

comprehend. There are many definitions of

attitude proposed by different scholars. Gardner

defines attitude as the overall outlook, a person

has for a specific thing (Gardner, On the

validity of affective variables in second

language acquisition: Conceptual and statistical

considerations, 1980). Ajzan defines attitude

with respect to positive and negative attributes

of a person (Ajzan, 1988). Baker says that

attitude of a person is his constant way of

acting in a same way towards anything (Baker,

1992).

Attitudes about Code Switching

Within the world of languages use, code-switching has often been

perceived as being of lower status, a strategy used by weak

language performers to compensate for language deficiency.

This view of code-switching and bilingual talk in general is more

normatively- based than research-based as pointed by Lin( 1996)

who added that such a view conveys

little more than the speaker or writer’s normative claims

about what counts as standard or legitimate language.

Myers –Scotton (2006) defines attitude as “ subjective evaluation of both language

varieties and their speakers. “many people specially monolinguals thought that

bilinguals tend to code-switch because of education and of language skills, that they are

not able to speak two languages perfectly without mixing them. Code-switching was

regarded as “an illegitimate mode of communication” (wie 2000:21)this is why some

bilinguals refuse or try to avoid code-switching. there are also efforts to keep language

pure and bilingual parents do not want their children to use the language spoken at

home, so it is differentiated between attitude of monolinguals and bilinguals and to

various aspect of bilingualism and attitude bilinguals themselves .In recent years

however, many linguists are of the opinion that code-switching in bilingual speech is a

normal and natural consequence of the interaction of two languages and that is not a

grammarless mixture of two language. (Ritchie & Bhatia: 2004:339) states that for

bilinguals with a positive attitude towards code-switching it is natural and useful

communication strategy and they will therefore not try to avoid code-switching.

Moreover, through language and especially through code-switching many bilinguals

express their multiple culture identities. Many bilingual speakers often feel that they

have more than one identity. Research on linguistic attitude is difficult because speakers

are often unaware about their bilingual behavior and especially about their code-

switching in many situations.

Grosjean :experienced that many bilinguals have the feeling that

they change personality ,when they change language (cf.1982:273).

In a word it is the environment and the culture as a whole that

cause the bilingual to change language, along with

attitude,feeling,and behaviors—and not language as such

(1982:283) .

Conclusion

Thus, it can be concluded that there are many

reasons why code switching takes place in

particular social contexts. The ability of the

interlocutors who are able to speak more than

one language fluently plays an important role

during their interaction. The study has shown

that the bilinguals have emphasized that

habitual expression which is related to

psychological aspect of behavior as their main

reason for code switching. Besides that, lack of

register competence is also another contributing

factor for code switching.