What is code switching?

The ability to communicate our thoughts, emotions, and opinions to others is truly
a remarkable skill. But not only does our language communicate who we are, but
our use of language can influence our self-concept and identity. It goes both ways:
Cultural influences are reflected in our language and also influence how we
conceptualize who we are and where we come from.
Code switching is when a speaker alternates between two or more languages
(or dialects or varieties of language) in one conversation.
Code switching occurs mostly in bilingual communities. Speakers of more than
one language are known for their ability to code switch or mix their language
during their communication. As Aranoff and Miller (2003:523) indicate, many
linguists have stressed the point that switching between languages is a
communicative option available to a bilingual member of a speech community, just
as switching between styles or dialects is an option for the monolingual speaker.

Reasons Speakers Use Code Switching

There are a number of possible reasons for switching from one language to
another; three are described below.

 To Fulfill a Need. A speaker who may not be able to express him/herself in

one language might switch to another to compensate for the deficiency. As a
result, the speaker may be triggered into speaking in the other language for a
while. This type of code switching tends to occur when the speaker is upset,
tired, or distracted in some manner, or when they are less fluent in one
language.
 To Express Solidarity. Switching also commonly occurs when an
individual wishes to express solidarity with a particular social group.
Rapport is established between the speaker and the listener when the listener
responds with a similar switch.
 To Exclude Others. Code switching may also be used to exclude others
from a conversation who do not speak the second language. For example, if
two people in an elevator in an English-speaking place spoke Spanish, then
not only would the others on that elevator who do not speak Spanish would
be excluded from the conversation, but also a degree of comfort and
 intimacy would be established between the Spanish-speakers due to the fact
that not all those present in the elevator can listen to their conversation.

Is Code Switching a Bad Thing?

As Skiba (1997) comments, code switching is not a language interference on the

basis that it supplements speech. Where it is used due to an inability of expression,
code switching provides continuity in speech rather than presenting an interference
in language.

When is code switching helpful?

 The socio-linguistic benefits of code switching include communicating
solidarity with or affiliation to a particular social group, so code switching can be
viewed as a means of providing a linguistic advantage rather than an obstruction to
communication.
 Furthermore, code switching allows a speaker to convey more nuanced
attitudes and emotions by choosing from a bigger pool of words that is available to
a bilingual person, much like how one might use font, bolding, or underlining in a
text document to emphasize points.
 Utilizing the second language, then, allows speakers to increase the impact
of their speech and use it in a more effective manner.

When is code switching harmful?

If a dominant culture requires all citizens to conform to the dominant language and
manner of speaking, or if subcultures are punished in any way for not conforming
completely to the language majority, this is harmful.

Code Switching as a Language Interference

In certain settings, code switching might be a barrier to communication rather than

an aid. In the classroom, for example, code switching can be seen as language
interference since it might impede learning. Although students may see code
switching as an acceptable form of communication in society and may feel
comfortable switching languages in everyday normal conversation, in some other
settings, this type of communication would put those who are not bilingual at a
disadvantage, because they would not be able to understand. Therefore, code
switching can be both beneficial and a possible language interference, depending
on the situation and the context in which it occurs.

Is Code Switching Deliberate or Accidental?

Sometimes, speakers flip from one language to another accidentally, but in many
situations, code switching is done deliberately to both create unity or to exclude
someone 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. Code switching is used most often when a word
doesn't "come."

Types of Code Switching

1. Inter-Sentential

In inter-sentential code switching, the language switch is done at sentence

boundaries—words or phrases at the beginning or end of a sentence. This type is
seen most often in fluent bilingual speakers.

2. Intra-Sentential

In intra-sentential code switching, the shift is done in the middle of a sentence,

with no interruptions, hesitations, or pauses to indicate a shift. The speaker is
usually unaware of the shift.

3. Extra-Sentential or Tag Switching

This is the switching of either a single word or a tag phrase (or both) from one
language to another. This type is common in intra-sentential switches. It involves
the insertion of a tag from one language into an utterance in another language.

Is Code Switching the Same as Code Mixing?

 Both involve creating hybrid words or switching between two or more language
within phrases, clauses, or from one complete sentence to the next. Some use the
terms "code mixing" and "code switching" interchangeably, especially those who
study morphology, syntax, and other formal aspects of language, but other areas
(like subfields of linguistics, communication, or education theory) have their own
extremely specific definitions for code mixing.

The main difference can be summarized like this: Code switching is something
speakers do intentionally because they want to express themselves with a personal
style or flavor, but code mixing is something speakers might do unintentionally
simply because they don't know the correct word or phrase.

Is Spanglish a Kind of Code Switching?

Linguists regard Spanglish (Spanish + English) as a hybrid language, and many

refer to Spanglish as "Spanish-English code-switching," although it also includes
lexical and grammatical shifts as well. In Spanglish, speakers are allowed to switch
back and forth without following rules.

However, a speaker is misguided to think that they can make up new words that
sound kind of like another language in order to fit in with that other culture. "Mi
housa es su housa"(welcome, literally my house is your house) for example, is
just silly (and possibly insulting).

Here are some other hybrid ways of speaking:

 Taglish (Tagalog + English)

 Franglais (French + English)
 Hindinglish (Hindi + English)
 Germanglish (German + English)

Is Code Switching the Same as Speaking a Pidgin Language?

Code switching and pidgin are not exactly the same. The difference is that code
switching generally occurs when both speakers are fluent in both languages used in
the conversation, while a pidgin language is a grammatically simplified way of
talking that develops between two or more groups that don't share a language.
Pidgin is more like a third dialect that evolves when speakers do not share a
common language. Usually, in pidgin, a speaker draws from two or more
languages but vocabulary and grammar are simplified and reduced.

Code switching is a phenomenon that is inevitable in bilingual communities