Perceptions of the students and the teachers towards the use of code switching in EFL classrooms

Year 2020, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 40 - 73, 25.06.2020

Merve Karakaya , Kenan Dikilitaş

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to shed light on the perceptions of the teachers and the students towards the use of code switching in EFL classrooms where English was a medium of instruction. Besides, it mentioned the functions of code switching in the learning and teaching environment. The research was taken place at three state universities in the western part of Turkey and the participants of the students were volunteer university students (N=550) diversified according to their gender, English proficiency level, English learning year, and age. Moreover, English instructors (N=50) who volunteered to participate in the study and the participants varied depending on their gender, nationality, and teaching experience. Questionnaires were distributed to the students for the quantitative part of the research and analyzed by CHIAD analysis as well as descriptive analysis. Interview questions were asked to the teachers and the answers were investigated for the qualitative part of the research and teachers recorded semi-structured interview responses were processed deductively. The results are discussed, and some suggestions are given with respect to the present literature.

Keywords

Code-switching, attitudes toward code switching, perceptions and functions of code switching

References

• Ahmad, B. H. (2009). Teachers’ code switching in classroom instructions for low English proficient learners. English Language Teaching, 2(2), 49-55.
• Ahmad, B. H., & Jusoff, K. (2009). Teachers’ code switching in classroom instructions for low English proficient learners. English Language Teaching, 2(2), P49.
• Anton, M., & DiCamilla, F. J. (1999). The discourse of a learner‐centered classroom: Sociocultural perspectives on teacher‐learner interaction in the second‐language classroom. The Modern Language Journal, 83(3), 303-318
• Asali, S. (2011). Attitudes of Arab American speakers in the USA towards English- Arabic code switching (Master thesis). Middle East University. Amman, Jordan.
• Bensen, H. & Çavuşoğlu, Ç. (2014). Reasons for the teachers’ uses of code switching in adult EFL classrooms. Hasan Ali Yücel Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 2(20), 69-82.
• Bentahila, A., & Davies, E. E. (1992). Code switching and language dominance. Advances in Psychology, 83, 443-458.
• Brooks, F. B., & Donato, R. (1994). Vygotskyan approaches to understanding foreign language leaner discourse during communicative tasks. Hispania, 77(2), 262-274.
• Brown, J. D. (1995). The elements of language curriculum. Boston: Heinle & Heinle Publishers
• Canagarajah, A. S. (1995). Functions of codeswitching in ESL classrooms: Socialising bilingualism in Jaffna. Journal of Multilingual & Multicultural Development, 16(3), 173-195.
• Cole, S. (1998). The use of L1 in communicative English classrooms. Language Teacher-Kyoto-JALT, 22, 11-14.
• Cook, V. (2002). Portraits of the L2 User. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
• Duff, P. A. & Polio, C. G. (1990). How much foreign language is there in the foreign language classroom? The Modern Language Journal, 74 (2), 154-166.
• Dweik, B. (2000). Linguistic and cultural maintenance among the Chechen of Jordan. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 13, 184-195.
• Elo, S., & Kyngäs, H. (2008). The qualitative content analysis process. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 62, 107–115.
• Ferguson, G. (2003). Classroom code switching in post-colonial contexts: Functions, attitudes and policies. AILA review, 16(1), 38-51.
• Gomez, A. (2014). How do native Spanish speakers engage with and respond to bilingual instructional strategies in the ESL classroom? Available at http://bilingualstrategiesinesl.weebly.com/
• Greggio, S. & Gil. G. (2007). Teacher’s and learners’ use of code switching in the English as a fo¬reign language classroom: A qualitative study. Linguagem & Ensino, 10(2), 371-393.
• Grosjean, F. (2010). Bilingual: life and reality. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
• Huerta-Macias, A., & Quinterro, E. (1992). Code Switching, bilingual and biliteracy: Case Study. Duluth: University of Minnesota Press.
• Hussein, R. F. (1999). Code-alteration among Arab college students. World Englishes, 18(2), 281-289.
• Kvale, S. (2008). Doing interviews: Sage.
• Mackey, W. (1962). The description of bilingualism. Canadian Journal of Linguistics, 7, 51-85.
• Milroy, L., & Muysken, P. (1995). One speaker, two languages: Cross-disciplinary perspectives on code switching. Cambridge University Press.
• Palmer, D. (2009). Code switching and symbolic power in a second-grade two-way classroom: A teacher’s motivation system gone awry. Bilingual Research Journal: The Journal of the National Association or Bilingual Education, 32(1), 42-59.
• Robert, K. Y. (2011). Qualitative research from start to finish. New York: The Guilford Press
• Sert, O. (2005). The functions of code switching in ELT classrooms. The Internet TESL Journal, 11(8) /online/. Available at http://www.iteslj.org/Articles/Sert-CodeSwitching.html.
• Skiba, R. (1997). Code switching as a countenance of language Interference. The Internet TESL Journal. 3(10) /online/. Available at http://www.iteslj.org/Articles/Skiba-CodeSwitching.html.
• Tien, C., & Liu, K. (2006). Code switching in two EFL classes in Taiwan. English in Southeast Asia: Prospects, Perspectives, and Possibilities, 215.
• Üstünel, E., & Seedhouse, P. (2005). Why that, in that language, right now? CS and pedagogical focus. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 15(3), 302-325.
• Valdes, G., & Figueroa, R. (1994). Bilingualism and testing: A special case of bias. Norwood: NJ: Ablex.
• Wardhaugh, R. (2006). An introduction to sociolinguistics. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
• Wei, L. (Ed.) (2000). The Bilingualism Reader. New York: Rutledge.
• Zentella, A. C. (1987) Language and female identity in the Puerto Rican community. In P. Jocye (Ed.), Women and language in transition (pp. 167-79). New York: NY Press.