vasquez 2009 cs in a bilingual school

8/12/2019 Vasquez 2009 CS in a Bilingual School

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ELEVENTH GRADERS PERSPECTIVES AND FUNCTIONS OF

CODE SWITCHING IN A BILINGUAL SCHOOL

JENIFFER POSADA VSQUEZ

UNIVERSIDAD TECNOLGICA DE PEREIRA

FACULTAD DE BELLAS ARTES Y HUMANIDADES

LICENCIATURA EN LA ENSEANZA DE LA LENGUA INGLESA

PEREIRA

2009


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ELEVENTH GRADERS PERSPECTIVES AND FUNCTIONS OF

CODE SWITCHING IN A BILINGUAL SCHOOL

JENIFFER POSADA VSQUEZ

Trabajo de grado presentado como requisito parcial para obtener

el ttulo de

Licenciado en la Enseanza de la Lengua Inglesa

Asesor:

Profesor Enrique Arias Castao

UNIVERSIDAD TECNOLGICA DE PEREIRAFACULTAD DE BELLAS ARTES Y HUMANIDADES

LICENCIATURA EN LA ENSEANZA DE LA LENGUA INGLESA

PEREIRA

2009


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Resumen

El presente proyecto de investigacin tuvo como objetivos principales

la identificacin y descripcin de las funciones de la alternancia de cdigos

(code-switching) y el cuestionamiento de las perspectivas de los estudiantes

de grado once de una institucin educativa bilinge acerca de este suceso.

Teniendo en cuenta las teoras realizadas anteriormente por otros

autores acerca de este tema en particular, se recolect informacin de doce

funciones de la alternancia de cdigos, y algunas perspectivas sobre ella.

Durante el anlisis de la informacin recolectada mediante entrevistas,

formales e informales, audio grabaciones, y diarios de campo, se encontr

que los estudiantes hicieron uso de las doce funciones propuestas en el

marco terico y que los estudiantes conceban la alternancia de cdigos

como estrategia comunicativa o como ausencia de la lengua, sin notar el uso

de otros propsitos a los que ellos recurran cuando alternaban. De acuerdo

con los resultados de dicho anlisis, tambin se encontr que los estudiantes

alternaban para causar gracia, para transmitir un mensaje determinado, oteniendo en cuenta las caractersticas nicas del interlocutor. De acuerdo a lo

anteriormente planteado, se llego a la conclusin que los estudiantes

alternaban porque ellos asumen que el saln de clase, y la clase de ingls es

un espacio bilinge donde tiene la posibilidad de utilizar la lengua extranjera

y para mayor fluidez utilizan la materna en algunas ocasiones.

Entonces, el aporte que hace este proyecto de investigacin al rea de

la enseanza y aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras es en cmo es el uso dela alternancia de cdigos y sus funciones en estudiantes de grado once de

una institucin educativa bilinge, adems de las perspectivas que tienen

dichos estudiantes, y qu puede decirnos la alternancia de cdigo sobre las

habilidades de comunicacin oral de ellos.


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Abstract

The current research project had as main objectives the identification

and description of functions of code-switching and the inquiry about eleventh

grade students perspectives of code-switching from a bilingual school.

Taking into account the theories developed before by other

theoreticians, about this specific topic, some information about twelve

functions and some perspectives about code-switching was gathered.

During the analysis of the collected data, collected through interviews (semi-

structured and informal), audio-recordings, and field notes, it was found that

the participants used the twelve functions proposed in the literature review,

and that the three participants conceived code-switching as communicative

strategy or lack of language, without noticing the use they gave to code-

switching to accomplish other purposes. According to the results of the data

analysis, it was noticed the use participants gave to code-switching to cause

humor, to transmit certain message, or to bear in mind the unique

interlocutors features. In proportion to the findings, it was concluded that

students switched because they assumed that the classroom and the English

as foreign language class was a bilingual setting in which they had the

possibility to use, not only the target language, English, but in some cases the

mother tongue in order to be more fluent.

As a conclusion, the contribution this project has to the educational

field of teaching-learning foreign languages is in how eleventh grade students

use code-switching and its functions, besides the perspectives students might

have about this topic, and what code-switching can tell us about the

communicative oral skills this particular students have.


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Dedication

I want to dedicate this professional and life achievement to my mom who art

in heaven. The moment she left, I knew I had to go on and she helped me

through this hard path of knowledge. I know you are proud of me. This is for

you!


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Acknoledgments

First of all I want to thank all my classmates, professors, and friends, who with

I had the opportunity to share knowledge in any way.

Special thanks go to Professor Enrique Arias for his commitment while

advising me to follow this process of investigation; to Professor Angela Maria

Lopez for being in the right moment at the right place, and helping me to set

on the right road; and to professor Rosa Maria Guilleumas, for giving me such

a wonderful feedback.

Finally, I would like to thank myself, because if I would not challenge myself

everyday to continue with this hard process of researching, I would not be

able to accomplish this goal, and for being able to finish this stage

successfully. Thank you Jeniffer!


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Table of Contents

1. Introduction........9

2. Statement of the problem and Rationale ....11

3. Description of the Study 15

4. Research questions....16

5. Research objectives ......17

5.1Main objective.17

5.2Specific Objectives17

6.Literature Review ....18

7.Research Design .33

7.1Type of study......33

7.2 Context........34

7.3Researchers role .....36

7.4Data Collection Procedure36

7.5Data analysis......39

8. Findings.42

8.1Functions of Code-switching used by eleventh grade students428.2Participants use of code-switching for specific purposes..53

8.3Participants perspectives of code-switching 58

8.4Bilingual school as an ideal setting for code-switching .60

8.5Code-switching as an element for reducing the use of the mother tongueonly, in the English as a foreign language classroom...60

8.6Code-switching as an element of culture identity ...61

9.Discussion 6310.Instructional Design ..67

11.Conclusions ...69

12.Reference List....71


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1. Introduction

Through decades, English language teachers have been concerned

about the use of mother tongue in the English as Foreign Language class.

Therefore, many investigations have taken place over time addressing this

issue.

The English as a foreign language learners are in their majority, either

for their idiosyncrasy or family formation, very embedded in their mother

tongue and the use of it while speaking. This situation brings out the frequent

use of the mother tongue while learning a foreign language, and specifically

in the English language class. However, some of the learners try to get over

this phenomenon with the intention of being able to reach real and accurate

foreign language knowledge. This interference between the mother tongue

and the foreign language has caused an impact, whether positive or negative,

into the foreign language learning process, and consequently, in the foreign

language class. Therefore, this interference is also a common situation in

bilingual schools, because there has been found a constant use of the mother

tongue, not alone, but with the foreign language, known as code-switching.

Teachers also contribute to the encouragement of students in the use

of mother tongue with their methodology and techniques, in order to

communicate no matter how, not taking into account that they, the teachers,

are teaching future professionals who have the opportunity to go abroad.

Some teachers insist in using it or even translating; something that attempts

to decrease students practical knowledge in the English language, since the

learners now are going to be potential users of that foreign language, and the

interference of the mother tongue into the foreign one might be a problem.

Regarding to the objectives of this investigation, this is a two-fold

investigation, since on one hand, it searches for the determination of the


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different functions of code-switching used by eleventh grade students from

Liceo Bilingue Elizabeth I1 during the English class; and on the other hand,

this investigations wants to question about students perspectives towards

code-switching.

In order to fulfill with the research objectives, it was vital to mention

previous theory about code-switching and som3e topics related to it, such as

bilingualism, speaking skills, since this project is focused on interaccionism,

and bilingual contexts, with the intention of giving support to the research

itself.

This study was conducted with the purpose of sharing the collected

information about code-switching with the educational system and interested

people, to give awareness of how code-switching works, in this particular

setting.

1Pseudonym


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2. Statement of the Problem & Rationale

As the Colombian ministry of education states in their EstndaresBsicos de Competencias en Lenguas Extranjeras: Ingles, bilingualism is the

ability to communicate in more than one language or culture, having a

mastery in many aspects of them (2006); giving to the concept a more

contextualized definition, taking into consideration Colombias needs.

Bilingualism is a phenomenon that nowadays has became very common all

over the world, since the use of a second or foreign language is being needed

for many areas such as trade, politics, economy, etc. English language, is an

excellent example of this business language in the world, and in Colombia,

English is the foreign language set by the government to be learned.

In Colombia, bilingualism has been conceived as an important skill to

develop. Since the appearance of the Programa Nacional de Bilingismo:

Colombia Bilinge, the country became aware of the necessity of mastering

a foreign language and English is a perfect choice since after Chinese,

English is the second most spoken language in the world, and bearing in

mind that English is also spoken as second or even foreign language (Perry,

2005). However, the path is long, as the learning process is slow and the

educational system of English teaching should be improved. Nevertheless, it

has to be considered that Colombian education have had contact with a

foreign language, in this case English, and bilingualism since many decades

ago, because of the private bilingual education in many cities. Therefore,

bilingual education in Colombia has the experience of dealing with

bilingualism before the Programa Nacional de Bilingismo emerged.

Bilingual education has been pictured as more effective than the

education offered by public institutions. De Meja (2005) claimed bilingual

education is identified mostly with private bilingual schools (most of them


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English- Spanish bilingual schools), which only upper-class people are able to

afford (p.54). Therefore, we can say that bilingualism has been a privileged

condition of those who have enough financial resources to get access to this

type of education.

In this project, the bilingual (English-Spanish) institution subject of

study, Liceo bilinge Elizabeth I is divided into three sections: pre-primary

(students aged 4- 5); primary (grades from 1-5, students aged 6-10); and

secondary (grades 6-11, students aged 11-16). The bilingual program starts

in pre-primary and extends to eleventh grade. Thus, the length of the foreign

language learning process is 13 years. Liceo Bilinge Elizabeth I is a

national bilingual school (i.e. a school governed by the nations educational

laws, exams, and procedures) with partial immersion and intensive English

program. Partial immersion (i.e. a program where the foreign language is

used as a resource, and content is a way to acquire the foreign language) is

implemented in pre-primary and primary school; whereas an intensive English

program (i.e. a program where the foreign language is used as an aim,

contrary of immersion) is applied in secondary.

The current investigation was conducted with eleventh graders of this

bilingual school. This is a level in which they have been through a long

learning process, and they are supposed to be bilingual, bilingual considered

as a person who has capacity and functionality in a second (or foreign)

language (Spolsky 1998, p.45); thus, eleventh graders have an advanced

level of proficiency and mastery of the foreign language.

As the school program allows students to have a balanced proficiency

and mastery of both languages, first language and foreign language, they are

balanced bilinguals (Ardila, 2004, p. 176). Due to the continual immersion of

students in the bilingual context, which the school offers, it bringing out the

ideal situation in which code-switching appears; and it is very common to find


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phenomena or learning strategies such as code-switching in the classroom

and even in the school.

Code-switching (CS) has been one of the many phenomena

investigated in a foreign language classroom. Some researchers have

investigated code-switching between different languages, about different

aspects of code-switching, and in many contexts. However, as this

phenomenon is seen mostly in bilingual contexts, not many investigations

have been conducted in Colombia.

Continuing with the core of this investigation it is necessary to answer

two main questions: what is code-switching and why is it shown only in

bilingual contexts? Gumperz defined code-switching as the alternate use of

two or more languages in the same utterance or conversation (cited by

Reyes, 2004, p.78); but code-switching has been conceived as interference

from mother tongue to second or foreign language, and vice versa. It could be

true, since a mixture of languages cannot be a good sign of mastering

languages, both mother tongue and second or foreign language. However,

code-switching should be taken into account not as interference between

both languages, but as Koziol stated code-switching stems from fluency in

two languages and not at all from lack of fluency in both languages (2000, p.

17) and, supporting Poplacks theory about code-switching used only by

balanced bilingual (cited by Hammink 2000, p.3), as eleventh graders are. It

is, code-switching is perceived in a more advanced level of bilingualism; and

depending on this level, its features become more complex; such as the

switching by changing a word, a phrase, or sentence; in any of the cases

stated code-switching interfere in the communicative meaning (Poplack, 2000p.228). All the information previously mentioned presents that code-switching

depends on the proficiency level of the speaker, and it appears only in

bilingual contexts, as code-switching is a slip into the other language (Hudson

cited by Koziol, 2000, p. 8).


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With the intention of considering the impact code-switching has in the

English as a foreign language class, this research aims to identify and

describe, code-switching, its functions and types in the speech of eleventh

grade students of Liceo Bilinge Elizabeth I, since, as it was stated before,

this phenomenon is only shown in bilingual contexts. This research could help

the Programa Nacional de Bilingismo, by providing useful information not

only for teachers but for future bilingual students of both private and public

institutions, such as why code-switching could be a useful tool in the EFL

classroom, in order to be aware of the level of bilingualism (dominant or

balanced) students of certain institution have; how students use code-

switching as a communication strategy in the classroom and outdoors, whatstudents perspectives are about code-switching and why or how (referring to

functions and types) students use code-switching.

Taking into account all the aspects acknowledged earlier, this

investigation seeks to identify and describe any kind of variation code-

switching presents in eleventh graders speaking skills from Liceo Bilinge

Elizabeth I students, and to gain understanding on the code-switching in a

bilingual institution in Colombia.


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3. Description of the Study

This study is focused on the analysis of the functions of code-switching

and the inquiry of perspectives about code-switching eleventh grade

students have in a particular setting. The data was collected with the use

of audio-recordings, interviews, and field notes which helped to answer

the main research questions of this study. This study was carried out in a

bilingual school in Pereira called Liceo Bilingue Elizabeth I, and more

specifically with three eleventh grade students with different language

background.


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4. Research Questions

This research was set up to answer research questions and to test

some hypotheses:

What functions of code-switching are evident in the oral speech of

eleventh grade-bilingual-educated students?

What are the students perspectives on code-switching?


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5. Research Objectives

4.1 Main

To identify the use students give to code-switching

To determine what code-switching can say about speaking skills in

eleventh graders

4.2 Specific

To identify the functions of code-switching used by eleventh graders

To know how the three participants of this study use code-switching To recognize the relation students make between context and use of

code-switching

To distinguish what previous code-switching theories are applicable or

contradicted by the use eleventh graders give to code-switching.


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6. Literature Review

Throughout the education history, the use of first language into second

or foreign language classes or settings has been divisive. In the next few

pages, it is going to be describe some perspectives, theories, definitions, and

findings from other authors investigations about four main cores: bilingualism,

bilingual education, code-switching, and functions of code-switching.

Firstly, bilingual communities have become common. Therefore, those

two languages spoken in that bilingual community are in contact. Every

bilingual community code-switches (Romaine, 1989, cited by Koziol, 2000);

however, ranks of code-switching vary immeasurably. Moreover, the

previous quote refers to the reality that every community with two language

systems tends to code switch (Romaine, 1989 cited by Koziol, 2000, p. 6).

There are different reasons for becoming bilingual: first, people need to

learn a foreign or second language in order to communicate between different

mother tongue speakers, ranging from Arabic to French speakers, and Italian

to Spanish speakers; second, migration issues, people need to communicatein the second language context; and third, people become bilingual because

of academic needs (to present international exams, to study abroad, to get

scholarships, to do postgraduate studies, etc). English, for example, is very

popular nowadays. It is the second most spoken language all over the world

either as first, second, or foreign language.

In order to understand the context of this study and the theoretical

foundations, it is necessary to define what bilingualism is, its features, andwhat bilingual education is, since this investigation was conducted in a

bilingual school; and the main role of bilingualism and bilingual education in

this study.


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Bilingualism

As stated by Spolsky (1998), a bilingual is a person who has some

functional ability in a second language (p.45). Subsequently, it is possible tosay that according to Spolskys definition of a bilingual person, bilingualism is

that ability to develop the second or foreign language, as supported by Rey

de Castro & Garcia (1997, cited by De Meja, 2005, p. 388) bilingualism is the

ability speakers have to use the second or foreign language. Conversely, as

defined by De Meja (2009), bilingualism is a more abstract concept. Experts

said that bilingualism is not only the linguistic fluency in the foreign or second

language, but also the way to behave in both cultures. Colombian Ministry of

education also supports the definition of bilingualism as cultural and linguistic

proficiency by declaring el bilingismo se refiere a los diferentes grados de

dominio con los que un individuo logra comunicarse en ms de una lengua y

cultura (p. 5).

Skutnabb-Kangas (1998) mentioned the complexity of the concept of

bilingualism by using some criteria, such as origin, competence, identification-

internal, and identification-external. Skutnabb-Kangas (1998) describes the

originas the mother tongue, it means, the first language speakers learn; the

competence is stated as the language the speaker masters; the function is

illustrated as the language the speaker uses the most; the identification-

internalis depicted as the identity the speaker has with certain language; and

identification-external is how people relate the speaker with a language.

Through these criteria, the author describes bilingualism not as a simple

performance in two languages but as a more complex term.


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Types of bilingualism

Bilingualism is also divided into three types. The first is called

simultaneous bilingualism, defined by Dpke (1996) as the type ofbilingualism in which the speaker acquires two languages instead of one

during the period of first language acquisition. The second type is

Consecutive bilingualism, which refers to the learning the second or foreign

languages after knowing already a mother tongue (Kandolf, 1998). The last

type of bilingualism is receptive, which refers to the ability to understand two

languages but being able to express only in one (De Meja, 2009). Taking into

account eleventh grade students profile, it is possible to say that they

developed a consecutive bilingualism, since they have learned English after

knowing the mother tongue.

What does being bilingual imply?

Weinreich (1952) and also Siguan (2001, cited by Ardila, 2004: 175)

coincide in the four principal characteristics to be bilingual, which are: to have

two linguistic systems and to use them separately; it means, when using

mother tongue, the speaker can only use the features of mother tongue or

when using the second or foreign language use only the features of the

second one; to switch without difficulty from one language to another; and to

be able to translate.

Etxebarra (cited by Ardila, 2004, p.176) also mentioned two types of

bilinguals according to the linguistic competence; the first, Balanced

bilinguals, refers to people with the same linguistic competence in both

languages, and the second, Dominant bilinguals, are the ones who have a

better mastery in one of the languages, usually in the mother tongue.


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Bilingual education

Bilingualism also depends on the context it is acquired. For example, in

Colombia, bilinguals are directly related with people from other countries thatnow live in Colombia, people that have lived abroad, or if none of the previous

are possible, people who learned the language in a bilingual institution.

The bilingual institutions are also divided into national and international

bilingual schools. National bilingual schools refer to the schools founded

usually by a small group of Colombian people. The schools have Colombian

head-teachers, and they seek for a proficiency in learning a foreign language,

commonly English. International bilingual schools, on the contrary, are

founded by foreign governments or institutions, have foreign head-teachers,

and they have more opportunities to have contact with the foreign culture,

through exchanges, visits, and international exams (De Meja, 2005).

Bilingual education in Colombia as argued earlier by De Meja (2005)

is identified mostly with private bilingual schools, and these institutions are

supposed to be connected with English language teaching and to receive

input from international organizations. De Meja (2005) also stated that

bilingual education is commonly pursued by the international community, the

upper- classes, and multinational workers. As bilingual education is sought by

these communities, the students from these schools have more opportunities

to become bilingual. Eleventh graders in bilingual schools for example, who

have been in the process of bilingualism for more than ten years, are more

likely to become balanced bilinguals. Balanced bilingual defined by Ardila

(2004) are speakers who have [la] competencia igual en ambas lenguas,

which means that the individual can demonstrate oral and written skills in the

two languages without or with few problems while using them. Balanced

bilinguals, as the three participants of this research, commonly use

communicative strategies in order to get the message across while speaking


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(most of the times) and one of these communicative strategies is code

switching.

What is it what academics call code switching?

Since Spanish is the most spoken minority language in the US

(Pressley, 2002), many investigations have focused on the code switching of

Spanish-English bilinguals. Code switching is the alternation of two codes

(languages or idioms) between people who share those particular codes

(Kasperczyc, 2005:1). However, Koziol (2000) emphasized that fluency is one

of the most important features to code switch between languages, taking into

account that this is closely related to the level of bilingualism, or mastering of

the two languages, and a rule-system that makes code-switching an

alternation, not interference. To illustrate code-switching, consider the

sentence, I like to ESCUCHAR pop music. In this sentence, the verb listen

is substituted by its equivalent word in Spanish. This process is called by

Poplack equivalent constraint (2000, p. 228) supporting the definition that

Brice & Brice (cited by Hughes et al, 2006) give to code switching: the use of

complete sentences, phrases, and borrowed words from a language other

than the first language (p.7). According to Poplack (2000 p. 228), the

equivalent constraint is one of the basic features of balanced bilingualism,

which means that, even though there is a use of the mother tongue into the

second language conversation, the alternation does not affect the

communication between bilinguals, since the message is gotten across, and

the communication act continues.

Koziol (2000) quoted Heller (1992) & Poplack (1981), and Poplack &

Sankoff (1988) with the intention of illustrating code switching as a

communicative strategy, primarily used by balanced bilinguals. As said by

Han Chung (2006), code-switching is used as communicative strategy to


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lower the language barriers and to strengthen cultural identity and code-

switching as communicative strategy also depends on the intention the

switcher has to do it. On the other hand, Eldridges (1996, cited by Ncoko et

al., 2000) findings claim that code switching is a useful and purposeful tool in

order to facilitate communication and learning.Code switching depends on the context, which has to be bilingual, and

the proficiency level of the speaker, as code switching is a slip into the other

language (Hudson cited by Koziol, 2000, p. 8). Duran (1994) also claimed: I

will use the term code switching for that point in the developmental time of

bilingual learners when they are conscious of such behavior and then choose

more or less purposefully to use or not to use it (p. 3). When talking about

code switching Poplack is one of the most important theoreticians, and she

says that code switching, as Koziol and Duran pointed out, shows a very

good mastery of the two languages rather than the lack of it. Siguan (2001,

cited by Ardila 2004) also continues with this line of thought about code

switching when she says when referring the difference between code

switching and code mixing, el primero (la alternancia) es caracteristico de

bilingismo y el segundo muestra un bilingismo limitado o deficiente(p.177), supporting, as well as the previously mentioned authors, that code

switching is not a negative use of the language, meaning interference

between both, but the mastery of both.

On one hand, as Poplack (1980 cited by Hammink,2000) claimed, the

most Balanced Bilingualscode switch in more advanced instances, referring

to those bilingual people that master the two languages without any

interference from one language into the other. On the other hand, somebilinguals who master one language more than the other, code switch but in a

simpler way (Poplack, 1980). These types of bilingualism and their

importance to code-switching introduce two other topics many studies have

focused on, which are code switching functions.


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Functions of Code-switching

First of all, the functions of code switching are directly related to the

purpose bilingual speakers have to code switch. Auer (cited by Yletyinen,

2004) proposes two main categories of code-switching:

Participant-related: the speaker takes into account interlocutors

features, it means, interlocutors preferences and proficiency in the language

(Auer cited by Yletyinen, 2004). Example:

1 T welcome to animal [jobs-] in [this program]2 LM2 [kato ] [(xx Finnish)]

[look ] [(xx Finnish) ]

3 LM [ mm ]4 T we talk to [people] who work with animals,5 LM [ mm ]6 T and here is Susan Robertson-(.) who is talking about7 T her job. (1) what does it mean, Susan Robertson works8 T for the the Royal Society for the Prevention9 T of Cruelty to Animals, minklainen yhdistys on tmmnen.

[of Cruelty to Animals, what kind of an association is this]10 LM2 u:h elintensuojelu joku

[ u:h animal protection something]11 T joo=

yes=12 LM2 =kuninkaallinen elintensuojeluyhdistys.

[=the royal society for the prevention of cruelty to animals.]13 T joo, jossa tota vastute- vastustetaan tmmst (.)

[yes, where they um are opposed to this kind of (.)]14 T [cruelty (.) ] raakuutta elimi kohtaan, and then

[cruelty (.) ] cruelty towards animals, and then]

(Example by Yletyinen, 2004, p. 76)

In the previous sample, Yletyinen (2004) showed how the teacher and

the students code-switched during the presentation of a new topic. In this

interaction, the teacher is introducing the new vocabulary. In lines 1 and 4 the

teacher is reading from the book, and in lines 6 and 7 the teacher is

explaining with her own words what is the book about. In line 9 the teacher

switched when asking the students for the mentioned association. The


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teacher switches to be sure students understood the explanation and the

connection between the association and the book.

Discourse- related: The author also claims that this function takes

place when the speaker wants to complete the communication act (Auer cited

by Yletyinen, 2004). Example:

1 T [I remember this] okay I cant ask you I dont want you to2 T answer okay and because we have to do some grammar I3 T suggest we do it now and continue with other stuff later okay?4 T (1) eli alotetaan vhn kielioppia tosta ett pakko ottaa (.)

(1) so lets take some grammar because we have to do some (.)5 T kuitenkin thn rakoseen vhn jossain vaiheessa ni (.)

anyway at some point so lets do it now (.)6 T adjektiivit on pivn sana ja sivu satayheksntoista (1.5) voitte

adjectives is the topic and page one hundred and nineteen (1.5)you7 T teh muistiinpanoja tai olla tekemtt ihan minklaiset teill on

can make notes or note make them depending on your8 T nm (1) tiedot ja taidot tst aiheesta

(1) knowledge and skills on this topic

(Example by Yletyinen, 2004, p.68)

In this excerpt, the author explains how the teacher switches in line 4

to change the topic, and according to the author it is also discourse-related

code-switching since depending on the activity, the teacher switches, giving

the opportunity to students to switch, too.

Besides the 2 categories proposed by Auer (cited by Yletyinen, 2004),

Muoz and Mora (2006), cited Eldridges (cited by Sert, 2005) two functions

of code switching:

Equivalence:when a term is code-switched to its equivalent term in

the other language without altering the meaning. (Eldridge cited by Sert cited

by Muoz and Mora, 2006). Example:


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T: Do you remember what weight is? When you go and (?) my weight,the teachers weight is 75 kilograms.

S: peso, el peso!

T: ahhh? Excuse me?

C: peso!

(Example from Muoz and Mora, 2006, p.42)

Here, Muoz and Mora (2006) claimed that the students used

equivalence code-switching with the intention of clarifying the meaning of the

word weight. The author also said that this function (equivalence) of code-

switching was used by students, not only when talking to their teacher, but

also to their classmates.

Floor-holding: when the speaker does not remember a word; so

he/she code switches with the intention of continuing with the flow of the

conversation, without interrupting it. (Eldridge cited by Sert cited by Muoz

and Mora, 2006). Example:

I2: N: No, I dont know. But, esprenme que ya se me enred estoAh tendramos el cincuenta por ciento de la nota, final exam veintepor ciento, class participation ten per cent...

(Example from Castao, 2009, p.38)

Castao (2009) stated that the professor code-switched several times

in order to give continuity to the conversation.

Koziol (2000) also described five functions of code switching:

Emphasis: the switch is made in order to highlight the speakers point

(Koziol, 2000). Xample:


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Los Hispanicos no son importantes para los politicians o para lapolicia, except in this election.

[The Hispanics arent important to the politicians or to the police,except in this election.]

(Example from Koziol, 2000, p.32)

As said by the author, in the previous excerpt the speaker was to make

emphasis to the word politicians, to call the attention of the interlocutors who

are not part of the community, so that everyone can notice the implication of

that word in the sentence. Politicians do not belong to the Hispanic

community, as la polica (the police) does, so the speaker wants the

interlocutor to be aware of that fact.

Clarification: when an issue is presented in one language and then

discussed or clarified in the other (Koziol, 2000, p.33).

Person 1 (aunt): What do you want for graduation?

Person 2 (niece/daughter): CDs, a multi-disc player Person 3 (Person 2s mother): She needs things for collegePerson 1: [nothing said]Person 3: Una lampa, toallas, mantas.


Here, Koziol (2000) says that the switch is made to benefit the listener

since the listener might understand better if those things for college are said

in Spanish.

Reiteration:The speaker repeats the message in the other language

in order to emphasize his/her point. (Koziol, 2000). Reiteration helps

students to become more competent in the language they are trying to learn

(Kasperczyc, 2005:4). Example:


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Person 1: Cuando fuimos a Galveston, llovi cada da. Every day!

(Example from Koziol, 2000:30)

Koziol poses that the speaker wanted to be sure her point was made,

but instead of saying his point in other words, the speaker preferred to repeat

it in another language.

In relation to reiteration, Gumperz (cited by Ncoko et al, 2000) added

that at times code switching can be used to reinforce, amplify or even clarify

the message that has already been transmitted in one code but which may

not have been understood. (p.237), referring to reiterative code switching.

Topic shift:the switch is made to change the topic, and the shift can

be pronounced or gradual (Koziol, 2000, p.34). Example:

Person 1: y Jenifer, cmo es ella?[ and Jenifer, how is she?]Person 2: Muy bien. Tiene muchas amigas . . . .[Very good. She has a lot of friends.]

Person 1: Dnde est? Por qu no est aqu?[Where is she? Why isnt she here?]Person 2: Est en la universidad, TCJC [with American accent]. Its acommunity but next year she should be able to transfer to the citycollege as premed.[Shes at college, TCJC. Its a community college, but next year sheshould be able to transfer to the city college as pre-med.]Person 1: Then shes getting good grades?Then shes getting good grades?Person 2: Oh, yes. She has to to keep her scholarship pero es difcilcon el beb

[Oh, yes. She has to to keep her scholarship but its hard with thebaby.]



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Koziol (2000) affirmed that this function is very difficult to recognize,

since the participants used different language according to the topic.

However, there were some topics (food preparation, sports, holiday plans,

etc) are discussed in both languages.

In the previous sample, the speaker is discussing two topics, family

and school, so the former is discussed in Spanish while the latter is discussed

in English. Person 2 switch to English when starts talking about the college,

but switch back to Spanish when return talking about personal issues, the

baby.

Untranslatability: the switch is made because there is not an

equivalent word in the other language, or it is a cultural identity concept

(Koziol, 2000, p. 34). Example:

In la cultura chicana, there is what we call compadrazgo, but that ismissing in Americans.(Example from Koziol, 2000, p.34)

The author explains this switching by saying that the word

compadrazgohas not an exact term in English, so the speaker decides to say

it in Spanish.

Ncoko et al. (2000) proposed another function of code switching:

Code switching as quotations: when the speaker quotes what

someone said in the same language the speaker used (Ncoko, 2000).

Example:

A: O utlwile se Mrs P a se buileng? (seTswana).[Did you hear what Mrs P said?]B: Mme e se for the first time a re, she does not want to see papers(seTswana).[It wasnt for the first time she says that she does not want to seepapers.]


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C: Onketsa gore ke tshege fa a bua, a re, do you understand me, doyou understand me. O se bua gantsi (seTswana).[She makes me laugh when she says Do you understand me, do youunderstand me?She says that many times.]

(Example from Ncoko et al., 2000 p.235)

The authors declare that students B and C switched back to the

language used by the group (seTswana) immediately after the quotation.

Ncoko et al. (2000) state this switch could indicate that meanwhile students

are using another language to quote the teacher, they still belong to the

speaking group and they share a language.

There is one extra function in spoken code switching proposed by

Romaine (cited by Muoz and Mora, 2006):

Interjections: the speaker code-switches to fill the utterance with

emotion. (Romaine cited by Muoz and Mora, 2006).

Dios mo, its past your bedtime!

(Example from Koziol, 2000, p. 35)

Koziol (2000) says that the speaker is using a language that has not

been used previously in the conversation, in order to call the addressees

attention.

Finally, Poplack (1981, cited by Koziol, 2000) also pointed out another

code switching function:

Tag-switching: it consists in switching words or phrases without any

functional purpose, commonly an uninhibited utterance, as in Spanish pues,

or in English you know.


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Code-switching is also used to accomplish specific purposes. As

stated by Wilkerson (2008, cited by Castao, 2009), code-switching by

bilingual speakers is used to achieve certain purposes and intentions with the

message is being conveyed.

Code-switching in speaking

Spolsky (1998) declares that bilingual often switch between their two

languages in the middle of a conversation; in other words, it is more often to

see code switching in spoken language. Speaking, as it is known, is a

productive skill and to become effective, it needs information from another

skill, listening which is the receptive. It helps speaking to become more

proficient and better developed.

Speaking is conceived as a synonym of knowing the language.

Lazaraton (2001) defends this idea when he/she says, The ability to speak a

language is synonymous with knowing that language since speech is themost basic means of human communication (p.103). However, it does not

mean that learning to speak a foreign language is easy, or at least, being

prepared to do it. Bailey and Savage (1994) support that conception when

they say speaking in a second or foreign language has often viewed as the

most demanding of the four skills. And Brown (1994) mentions some

characteristics of code switching that makes speaking as difficult as it is.

According to what is said not only by speaking but by code switchingtheoreticians, speaking is the focus of code switching, and as stated by Bailey

and Savage (1994), it is not easy to become a speaker of the foreign

language, so it means that the level of bilingual proficiency, or type of

bilingual, should be higher. In other words, speakers should be balanced


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bilinguals in order to code-switch and not interfere between languages

(Poplack, 1980).

Code switching in the classroom

According to Yletyinen (2004), the reasons to code-switch are different

depending on the context, it means, the use of code-switching in an

educational context differs from its use in a social context. The classroom in a

bilingual institution like Liceo Bilinge Elizabeth I becomes a educational

context in which code-switching is used with specific purposes and different

from those purposes students might have to code-switch outside the

classroom.


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7. Research Design

7.1 Type of study

By means of achieving the purpose of this study, it was appropriate to

conduct it by taking into account the qualitative paradigm and the case study

approach. In other words, this is a qualitative-descriptive case study.

First, the qualitative paradigm is considered in this research since it is

focused on the reality itself by describing it, because through the description

of some if not all the main characteristics of the phenomenon called code-

switching, by using systematic criteria to highlight the essential elements of its

nature; it would be possible to get a coherent comprehension of that reality or

the use of code-switching by eleventh graders in a formal context, which is

the English class; in terms of specificity and singularity. The purpose of this

research is to describe and identify code-switching in eleventh graders, the

behavior students take while code-switching, their perceptions and their

reason for code-switching. This cannot be studied through a quantitative

paradigm, since as said by Arias (2007), the qualitative paradigm refers also

to the study focused on behaviors, beliefs, and concerns certain phenomenon

has; contrary of statistics and measurable phenomena, that is what

quantitative paradigm is about (Castillo, 2004).

Secondly, this research is based on case study because it is focused

on making careful and exhaustive studies of one or few subjects of

investigation, which permits to search out a broader and more detailedknowledge of code-switching in this little group of students, rather than other

approaches. As well, case study is based on the fact that if a unity, in this

case three eleventh grade students, of certain universe, a classroom, is

studied by paying meticulous attention to it, the researcher will be in condition


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to recognize some of the features of the problem (the problem in this case

would be code-switching) or at least a perspective or sketch that would orient

the researcher to conduct the research in a more meticulously and more

structured manner (Sabino, 1989).

7.2 Context

In this section, it is going to be described the setting where the

investigation took place, and the objects of study or participants.

Setting

The Liceo Bilinge Elizabeth I, a national bilingual school founded in

1996, is located in the boundaries of Pereira; therefore, it is a country school.

It is a co-educational school which emphasizes in the acquisition of the

foreign language (minor) and the formation of integral students. The school

has a bilingual program in pre-school, and elementary school, since the

curriculum is articulated through the two languages, Spanish and the foreign

language. Also because the language (English) is acquire through content

(math, social studies, arts, math, and English itself). In high school there is an

intensified English language program, that means that the language is

acquired through the English subject, fifteen hours per week, which means

the 30% of the subjects, and the language is used as an aim. The Programa

Educativo Institucional poses the English program that way, since it is

believed that in 6thgrade, students are supposed to know many functions of

the language not only through the English subject, but through others, whichhelp students to have a wide knowledge of the language; thus, when students

reach sixth grade they are supposed to start practicing the language, and

learning some aspects of it, in a less intensive schedule.


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Although the school is supposed to have a mission and vision centred

on the acquisition of the foreign language, it is not. The school is focused on

the students integrity and students immersion in the real world, rather than

the capability to become multilingual and multicultural.

The school offers very good didactic resources. It has technological

resources, for example the computer lab (one computer per student); the

library has a lot of qualified material according to the subject, which is enough

for the quantity of students per class, but also it has not many bibliographic

resources. It counts with an audiovisual room, computers lab, library, and

music room, with electronic resources.

The class has a teacher, who develops listening, speaking, writing, andreading, and each skill is worked on in different days of the week (for

example: Monday: reading; Tuesday, speaking; etc.). Therefore, the study will

observe especially those classes where the teacher will work on developing

speaking skills.

The English class is very dynamic and fun, as the students said in

some informal talks, the teacher is very creative, and he prepares two or

three activities per class of about 2 hours.

Participants

For this research, it was selected eleventh grade, because it is the final

stage of high school, a kind of transitional grade between high school and

college, and students are supposed to have a very good level of English, as

they have been through a process of years for becoming bilingual. Anotherreason for choosing this specific level is that they are very participative. This

course has 18 students, who are from a high socio-economical status(5, 6).

The majority of the students are balanced bilinguals; it means, they display a

very good level of English proficiency.


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However, only three students (Violeta, Kike, and Juan2) from this

eleventh grade course from Liceo Bilinge Elizabeth I, between 15 and 17

years old, were selected as subjects of study. They were chosen due to their

frequency of code-switching. The students are two boys and a girl. The girl is

a native speaker from US; one of the boys spent many years in Australia and

learned the language there; and the other boy has been in an English

speaking country in different occasions, but he has never lived there. He

learned the language at school.

Violeta and Kike have a very close friendship, but they have a friendly

banter, in which they argue and they treat each other roughly, but it is a game

going on between them. They usually fight during the class, but it is a normal

situation between them.

7.3 Researchers role:

The researcher will act in the study as an observer, an informant role.

This means the researcher will not be part of the investigated group, but will

be observing the reality itself, inside that group, but not being part of it. Theinteraction between the researcher and the investigated group is not required,

facilitating the objectivism of the research. However, as students know they

are being observed, they control the information collected by the observer

(Merriam, 2009, p.124).

7.4 Data collection Procedure

The data was collected during five months. The researcher used field

notes and interviews made to three students, the data from both methods

were audio-recorded, and transcribed.

2Pseudonyms


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Field notes

As Sabino (1989) mentioned, field notes have the purpose of recording

the reality, in this case code-switching, in order to collect data for the

investigation of what the researched subjects say and do during the time of

observation (p. 119). The purpose of the field notes is to provide descriptions

of the behavior taking into account the studied phenomenon. The field notes

were oriented by a check list (see Appendix A), which was useful in order to

collect the data as accurately and objectively as possible. The field notes

were taken during the speaking activities in the English class. The activities

lasted approximately thirty minutes. The purpose of using this method was to

answer one of the research questions: what does the use of code-switching

tell us about the speaking skills of eleventh grade students in a bilingual

school?

Audio recordings

Observations were audio-recorded daily. Students met two or three

times per week (one or two hours daily). The recording was transcribed and

used as an extra aid to the field notes and interviews. The audio recordingswere made with the intention of supporting the other two methods, since with

its help, the information gathered can be more precise and accurate.

Freemans (1998) findings support the usefulness of audio-recordings with

the purpose of collecting data from oral interactions by saying an audio

recording captures spoken interactions in the lesson (p.207). According to

this author, the audio-recordings, whether in a lesson or the interviews

conducted with the students, give strength to the information collected with

the other two methods.


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Semi-structured interviews

The interviewed students were the three participants of the study, in

order to collect information about students perceptions of code-switching.

Interviews were semi-structured, since this type of interview allows more

flexibility, and therefore, it is helpful when a question arises in the middle of

the interview from some answer the interviewee gave, contrary to structured

interviews which are just a list of questions without any kind of variation

(Wallace, 2001).

The interviews were conducted in the campus of the school, in the last

observation session, and the data collected by the check lists were shown to

the students to explain and identify the reasons they had to code switch, in

general, and the reasons they had when switching, in the particular samples.

(See Appendix B)

Informal Interviews

Informal talks are simple conversations between the researcher andthe observed person, with the purpose of making the participant talk to gather

wider information about the investigated problem (Sabino, 1989).

After each of the fifteen classes, the three participants were

interviewed to gather deeper information about their purposes for code-

switching in specific moments. The researcher showed them samples

collected through field notes and the participants were willing to say why they

code-switched in the moment the sample was collected.


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7.5 Data analysis

This analysis was developed through the use of three instruments: field

notes, audio-recordings and interviews. This chapter presents how the data

collected during the fifteen sessions was analyzed in order to answer the

research questions: What functions of code-switching are evident in the oral

speech of eleventh grade-bilingual-educated students? And what are the

students perspectives on code-switching?

Process of data analysis

Once the information was collected, I started to organize it into groups:

the first one integrated the field notes, informal interviews, and audio-

recordings of the field notes; and the second group consisted of the

interviews and audio-recording of them. Therefore, I organized the

information in a different way according to each group.

With the first group, I classified all the information in the computer in

order to manage the data from the hard disk. As a matter of fact, all thecomments and opinions given by the participants in the sessions were saved

in magnetic format.

The field notes were organized by activity and date. For each session,

I took notes from what the students said, more precisely when they code-

switched. The researcher took notes as much as students code-switched

during the speaking activity. All the information collected with the field notes

was coded. For instance, as the data was collected through field notes, thecode was I (intervention), and the number of intervention (I45), plus the

number of the student (Violeta: st1; Kike: st2; Juan: st3)


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Concerning the interviews, all of them were transcribed and I designed

a chart in order to comprehend and analyze the data. This chart has three

columns: questions, answers, and interpretation of the answers (see

appendix C). The three participants were interviewed in the last day of the

sessions, so I decided to transcribe the interviews at the end of the data

collection process. The interview was coded by number of the question, and

Participants number, like this: I-Q10-st3 (interview-question 10- student 3).

Thus, each instrument was analyzed by using the code of the instrument, the

number of the intervention (field notes) or the number of question (interviews),

and the number of student.

Once I collected and organized all the information from the three

methods, I started to analyze it based on the grounded theory (Glaser and

Strauss.1967). According to the grounded theory, data collected must be

organized through the naming of key ideas, the identification of connections

between answers, and the grouping of categories and sub-categories

(Freeman, 1998. p. 102-103).

The field notes and the informal interviews were selected to answer the

question about functions of code-switching used by eleventh graders, since

during each session the observer could take notes and categorize students

code-switches according to each function. As consequence, I could identify

through the field notes and informal interviews which were students

intentions to code-switch, why they code-switched, and what students took

into account to switch.

Once the collected data from both groups was organized, I used a

strategy to analyze it. The strategy was to print both the field notes and

interviews. I printed out the data in order to write notes and thoughts in the

paper about the data collected. This process helped to the categorization of

the data.


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When I finished this process, I started to classify them into groups

taking into account their differences and commonalities. Then, after sharing

the classification with my advisor, these groups were named with sentences

based on her opinion and my thoughts. Next, I identified two main categories

and some subcategories. Taking into account the categories and sub-

categories, it was better to define what category each sub-category was

related to, and how categories were connected to one another.

In the next chapter, I will present each category, its explanation, and

the results found.


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8. Findings

As mentioned before, the data was collected through field notes,

audio-recordings and semi-structured interviews. These findings were divided

into two major categories: functions of code-switching and students

perspectives of code-switching.

8.1 Functions of Code-switching used by eleventh grade students

Functions of code-switching refer to the use and the purpose of code-

switching. It means the function is the communicative intention the speaker

has when she/he code-switches. In the following pages, the functions of

code-switching which were detected in the participants oral production

studied for his investigation are going to be described:

8.1.1 Participant-related code-switching

Observations and interviews with the students showed that students

tended to switch taking into account interlocutors and their features. Students

code-switched depending on the language the interlocutor speaks and his/her

proficiency of the language to reach the communication act. The following is

an excerpt from the transcriptions of the interviews where a student gives her

reasons of using code-switching:

I1-st1

V: yeah, but then I have to start thinking how I'm gonna say it inEnglish coz they didnt understand me when I said it in Spanish.

In this answer, the student is giving an explanation for her switching. In

the informal talks, she claimed that when she knows the interlocutor cannot


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understand her when alternating, it becomes difficult for her, since she cannot

use code-switching as a resource.

The data collected from the audio-recordings and the interviews

showed that the students switched to the language they knew the interlocutor

understood. In other words, if the student knows the interlocutor is

monolingual she/he will talk only in the language the interlocutor knows. In

the next excerpt, the student expresses her attitude towards switching when

talking to an English native speaker:

I-Q11-st3

Interviewer: But lets say for example youre talking to a monolingualnative English speaker, would you switch?

St3: No

Interviewer: No? Why?

St3: Because when I when you are talking with someone else thatunderstands just one language you have to know the meaning of the

word

Interviewer: But if you dont know the meaning?

St3: I dont know signs or something (laughs)

In the previous excerpt of the interview with student 3, the student

claims that he would not switch in front of a native speaker, and if he does not

have the language to communicate, he will resort to signs to get the message

across. Thus, it is showed that the student uses code-switching depending on

the interlocutors features, in this case because he/she knows that the

interlocutor is a monolingual speaker.


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The data collected from the audio-recordings and field notes revealed

that students switched when addressing classmates or the teacher in a

different way. In other words, they switch from Spanish to English depending

on the person they were talking to:

I41-st1:

V: Fabricio cllese! Wait teacher I cant hear you![Fabricio, shut up! Wait teacher I cant hear you!]

In this excerpt, firstly the student was yelling at a classmate in Spanish,

and then, when addressing the teacher she switched to English. This sample

provides a clearer idea of the switching depending on the interlocutor, since

she addresses her classmate in Spanish, but when she addresses the

teacher, she immediately switches to English, even when she knows the

teacher is bilingual, and he can understand her.

8.1.2 Discourse related code-switching

The data collected demonstrated that students used discourse-related

code-switching, which is related to the communicative intention of the

speaker, in other words, to the purpose of the speaker to switch. Discourse-

related code-switching is an umbrella concept, since there are many code-

switches that can be related to the intention of the speaker, and at the same

time those shifts can have another function, such as emphasis, equivalence,

floor-holding, etc. In the next sample from the field notes and audio-

recordings it is shown how the student used discourse-related switch:

I3-st1:

V: Kenny! Are you en contra or with us?

[Kenny! Are you against or with us?]


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Here the student was asking a classmate to make a decision if he

wanted to be for or against euthanasia. The teacher had asked them to take a

position about this topic and explain their reasons for the position taken. In

the sample, the student 1 said en contra (against), since she wanted to

emphasize her point in the phrase by using Spanish. Besides, notice that in

the sample it can be infer that the participant is trying to convey a

confrontation meaning through her switch, taking into account the relationship

she has with the other participant Kenny. It is very interesting the way she

uses English for those words related to her, that is to say she is using English

for the words related to being for euthanasia, and Spanish to the ones related

to being against euthanasia. In an extra talk, the student said that as she wasfor, she wanted her classmate to decide to be for and quickly, so she

decided to use Spanish to give an effect, which was a quick decision.

8.1.3 Emphasis code-switching

The data collected illustrated how students use code-switching to

emphasize their messages. In other words, students alternate in order to

highlight the important point of their messages to their interlocutors. The next

excerpt shows how a student switches to emphasize:

I34-st3:

J: Teacher, Can I contestar my phone?

[Teacher, can I answer my phone?]

Here, the student asks the teacher if he can answer his phone that had

just rang. The student emphasizes contestar (answer), since he wants to

obtain the permission from his teacher and he wants his teacher to get the

main point of his message which is to answer.


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In the following sample from the field notes and the audio-recording

transcriptions, the student switches to emphasize the threat to her classmate:

I44-st1

V: Get away from me! El que busca encuentra, mijo!

[Get away from me! Look and you shall find, dude!]

The student was being bothered by her classmate during a speaking

activity. She had mentioned her classmate she did not want him around, but

he continued bothering her. She said the previous words and hit him.

8.1.4 Equivalence code-switching

Field notes and audio-recording transcriptionsdata led to conclude that

participants alternate without affecting the grammatical structure of the

utterances. That is to say, participants used to switch just a word or phrase

without altering the meaning and the structure of the utterances. The audio-

recordings and the field notes data demonstrate how a student switches and

uses equivalence

I19-st2

K: I'm gonna talk about importaciones y exportaciones ilcitas.

[Im gonna talk about illicit importations and exportations]

Here the intention of the student was making a joke in class, since the

teacher went out of the classroom for a few seconds. The student uses

equivalence in the phrase importaciones y exportaciones ilicitas (illicitimportations and exportations), that he uses exactly as it is in Spanish,

without altering the structure of the phrase.


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Consider the example:

I8-st 2:

K: sus scissors, parce.

[Your scissors, dude]

The switch is from Spanish to English. The student probably knows

that scissors in Spanish is Tijeras, however he prefers to say scissors but

without modifying the meaning and the structure of the utterance.

8.1.5 Floor-holding code-switching

Another function of code-switching used by the participants was floor-

holding. The students switched with the purpose of maintaining the

conversation going on. In other words, students wanted to keep the flow of

the conversation so they switched words or phrases to continue the

communication event without disruptions. The next sample from the audio-

recordings and the field notes will illustrate this function better. Example:

I10-st1

V: You cant kill your own people, I mean errr you have your wife,or your children o lo que sea, you cant unplug them just coztheyre in comma or something

[You cant kill your own people, I mean errr you have your wife,or your children or whatever, you cant unplug them just coztheyre in comma or something]

Here, the students purpose is to continue with the flow of the debate

about euthanasia. The student wanted to continue explaining her reasons

maybe she did not remember how to say o lo que sea in English (or


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whatever), so she decided to utter it in Spanish to maintain the course of the

conversation.

8.1.6 Clarification code-switching

Data collected from the audio-recordings illustrated the use that

participants did of code-switching to clarify their message. Consider the next

example:

I43-st1:

V: Ah! But you are supposed to choose one answer, no las dos!

[Ah! But you are supposed to choose one answer, not both!]

In this excerpt the student is clarifying to a classmate that he is

supposed to select one answer of a game instead of two, what he had

already done.

8.1.7 Interjections code-switching

The outcome of the data collected also illustrated how participants

switched to transmit emotion in an utterance. For example, in the next

sample, it can be easily noticed that when the student wants to give impact to

her speech uses an interjection:

I45-st1

V: Cllese! Thats not the answer![Shut up! Thats not the answer!]

The students were in the same activity mentioned in the previous

sample. The student wanted her classmate to stop talking because she knew

what he said was not the answer to the question. She uses the interjection in


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Spanish cllese! (shut up!) maybe because she knows that saying it in

Spanish conveys more impact to the interlocutor than saying it in English.

8.1.8 Code-switching as Quotation

Quotation was also a function identified in the data from the audio-

recordings and field notes. Participants use code-switching to report what

other person uttered, in the original language used by the speaker. The

following excerpt exemplifies this function of code-switching:

I42-st2:

K: yo dije: what are you gonna do, man? Y el dijo: help!

[I said: what are you gonna do, man? And he said: help!]

Here, the student wanted to retell his classmates a past experience

with a friend in a soccer match. The student is telling the story in Spanish but

when he wants to recall what he and his friend said he switches to English

because in the past conversation they were speaking in English.

The next excerpt can also help to illustrate the use of this function of

code-switching among participants. The teacher was giving instructions to

organize the classroom for a following activity:

I51- st2:

T: Dont use the desks, move just the chairs.

K: Uy teacher habl como esos muequitos de Barney: dont use thedesks, move just the chairs

[Uy teacher you talked like those Barneys dummies: dont use thedesks, move just the chairs]


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The previous sample depicts the participant making laugh of his

teacher, and switching as quotation to repeat the teachers exact words in the

original language used, probably to reproduce the impression caused by

those words.

8.1.9 Reiteration code-switching

The data collected showed the use of code-switching when repeating

the same message in the other language; in other words, participants repeat

in one language the message they already said in the other. In the following

excerpt the student repeats in Spanish the same message she had just said

in English:

I1-st1

V: Teacher, what are gonna do? Que vamos a hacer?

[Teacher, what are gonna do? What are gonna do?]

Here the student is asking for the instructions that the teacher had just

given. She repeats the first message but in Spanish to make sure the teacher

understood the message she said in English.

I58-st1

T: Guys choose your topic now.

V: Qu? What? What?

[What? What? What?]

The same student is asking her partner what they have to do. Her first

reaction is in Spanish, but immediately she switches to English with the

intention, stated by the speaker in an informal talk, of making her classmate

understand the message.


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8.1.10 Tag/pet phrase code-switching

Everybody has a pet phrase. During the study of the audio-recordings

outcome, it was found that the participants switched for a pet phrase,

unconsciously. In the next example the student uses pues as pet phrase:

I16-st1

V: Pues! A girl-friend and a boy-friend.

In the previous example, the participant was clarifying to a classmate

what a girlfriend and a boyfriend were by separating the syllables while

uttering the words. She uses pues, a pet phrase used mostly for the paisa

people, at the beginning of the utterance, probably unconsciously, since pet-

phrases tend to be said without any premeditation.

In the next excerpt, the word puesappears again, which as explained

before, is a common paisa pet-phrase:

I24-st1

V: Teacher, pues, what do we have to do?

[Teacher, well what do we have to do?]

Here the student was asking her teacher what they had to do in the

activity the teacher had just mentioned. The same student from above uses

the same tag phrase without being aware of doing so.

8.1.11 Topic shift code-switching

The participants switched language to shift the topic. In the outcome of

the audio-recordings it was found some examples of this function were

identified:

I10-st1


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V: You cant kill your own people, I mean errr you have your wife,or your children o lo que sea, you cant unplug them just coztheyre in comma or something

[You cant kill your own people, I mean errr you have your wife,or your children or whatever, you cant unplug them just coztheyre in comma or something]

This example was previously used to illustrate floor-holding code-

switching; however, it is also a clear example of topic shift since the student is

using the phrase o lo que sea (or whatever) to introduce another issue. The

students starts talking about killing relatives and mentions two, then, to

change a bit the topic she uses the phrase and introduces the situation of

unplugging a relative because he/she is very sick, without finishing the first

idea.

8.1.12 Untranslatability

During the study of the results of the audio-recordings, it was noticed

that the participants switched because the word or the phrase does not have

an accurate translation into the other language. The next is an example of theuse of untranslatability by a student:

I68-st3

J: No, parce. I dont want to go to that trip, I prefer to take the moneyand spend it in a huge party.

[No, dude. I dont want to go to that trip, I prefer to take the money andspend it in a huge party.]

In the previous example, the alternation is from English to Spanish.

The student was talking about their tour to La Costa with a classmate. The

students were talking about if they wanted or not to go to the trip with the all

group. Here, the student was giving his opinion, but he used parce at the

beginning of his intervention. Probably, it might be considered as a tag/pet


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phrase code-switching, but as it uses the word parce it is considered as

untranslatability, too. The word in which untranslatability is shown is parce.

Parce is a very common phrase said by paisapeople, as well as pues.

The word parce denotes a cultural value, which creates identity of certain

region of the country, in this case paisapeople.

8.2 Participants use of code-switching for specific purposes

Data from the interviews revealed that the speakers switch with a specific

purpose, as giving continuity to the conversation. In the following excerpt one

of the participants explains how she uses this function:

I-Q3-st1:

I: Why do you use code-switching?

V: may be because I dont know a word or something or maybe

because I dont want to interrupt the conversation by looking for the

word in English, I just say it in Spanish and thats it, I continue with

the conversation.

Here, the student states she code-switches not only when she

does not know a word, but also to be fluent in a conversation. Notice

that she uses the phrase I dont want to interrupt the conversation to

make reference to the importance of getting the message across.

Data collected from the audio-recordings also showed that studentsswitched with the intention of convincing the interlocutor:

I36- st2:

K: Hey trust me! Yo s que tengo la razn![Hey trust me! I know I am right!]


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In this sample, the student was talking to his classmates. As he expressed

in an extra talk, he switched because he knew his classmates understand

both languages, and he did not have the necessity to use only one language.

Besides, in this excerpt it can be noticed that he is trying to persuade his

classmates of letting him say an answer in a contest against the other half of

the group. The persuasion can be noticed in the phrase yo s que tengo la

razn, and maybe he switched to the first language in order to create a

confidence environment, so that he can persuade his classmates to let him

do what he wants to do.

8.2.1 Participants use of code-switching as communicative strategy

During the interviews and the audio-recordings, the participants

claimed that they switched because they did not remember words. The field

notes also showed how code-switching is used as communication strategy. In

the next example, it is seen how this is used:

I54-st3:

J: Teacher, we need to study. I think we can sacar some time atthe end of the class.

[Teacher, we need to study. I think we can have some time atthe end of the class]

T: study? What for, Juan?

J: we need to study for a chemistry exam. Can we?

T: lets see if we have time after this activity.

The student was proposing the teacher to give some time to students

at the end of the class because they had a test next day, so the student was

asking for permission to study. In this example it is clearly evident the use of

an equivalent word in Spanish, maybe because the student does not

remember the appropriate word, or does not know it.


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During the interview with the second participant, more exactly in a

question related to why he code-switches, he said:

I-Q11-st2

K: if you need code-switching... is normal; because you just

need to communicate, and it doesnt matter if you're speaking

one language or another the important thing is that you're

communicating something.

I: so you think code-switching helps you or not?

K: yeah. It is very useful, you can rid of problems when you

dont remember a word or you dont know how to say it.

The student was giving his reasons to code switch and he argued that

he code-switched because he did not remember or did not know a word. He

also claimed that the important thing when he speaks is to communicate

without considering what language you are speaking, but the importance is to

transmit the message and that it is being understood.

8.2.2 Participants use of code-switching because of lack of language

The participants code-switched because they did not know how say a

specific word in English, or even in Spanish. In other words, the participants

lack of vocabulary to communicate. In the interview with the three participants

in a question related to why they code switch they said:

I-Q3-st3

J: because sometimes I get confused or I dont know like

what to put so I replace it with an Spanishmmm word


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I-Q3-st2

K: because sometimes I dont know the word

The two students agreed in at least one of the reasons they had to

code switch. They stated that most of the times (when conscious), they

switched because they did not know how to say certain word in English (L2).

They also affirmed in some informal talks that when they had to think of the

word, they realized they were code-switching, in other circumstances, they

would not noticed the switch.

8.2.3 Participants use of code-switching as means of humor

The data collected from audio recordings, field notes, and interviews

showed a new function, which I could not find any previous theory about.

Students code-switched with the purpose of making other people laugh, it

means, to tell jokes, or because of the same funny impact code-switching has

for them. In the next conversation, the activity proposed by the teacher was a

speed dating, so students had to create a character that they had to perform,his/her profession, personality, name, etc. Notice the humorous intention in

Kennys choice of words in Spanish and particular elements switched:

I61:

K: Teacher, you know what my name is? pille pues YuyeimyBotero De Gomez[Teacher, you know what my name is? Listen Yuyeimy Botero

De GomezSt: How old are you?

K: I'm quince[Im fifteen]

St: Are you a travesti or what?[Are you a drag queen or what?]

K: I like my tetas, you like them?[I like my breast, you like them?]

()


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St: Yuyeimy, what do your parents do?K: My mom sells drugs and my father is a sicario.

[My mother sells drugs and my father is a hired killer]St: are you married, or what?

K: NoSt: so, why do you use De Gomez?K: because I was married. Im widow, now. My husband died ofa sobredosis.

[Because I was married. Im widow, now. My husband died ofan overdose]

St: Ummm What do you do, where do you work, Yuyeimy?K: I'm a volea-llavero. You know where Paradise club is?

[Im a prostitute. You know where Paradise club is?St: yesK: On the esquina.

[On the corner]St: I like you Yuyeimy!K: Would you like casarte conmigo?[would you like to marry me?]St: yes!K: Ay, no! You have a jetae guayo!

[Ay, no! you have a big mouth!]

This student is particularly fascinated by the use of code-switching

while telling jokes, or as the excerpt, creating funny characters. In many

occasions he was the clown of the class. In this case, the student is creating

a complete context for the character he is performing. The student is

portraying a low-social class girl, since first, he uses an anglicized name such

as Yuyeimy, which is a common feature in lower class people in Colombia,

and her last names Botero de Gomez, which are common last names not of

American or European but Latin-American people, specifically Colombians.

Secondly, he is using Standard English with the Spanish slang used by that

kind of people, using words as volea-llavero, basuqueros, pille pues, jetae

guayo, words that are not part of a standard Spanish. Finally, he depicts the

background of the character by using very specific professions and social

issues such as drug addiction, prostitution, delinquency, and drug dispensing.

The participant and his classmates may find these social issues humorous,


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and he uses the topic mixed with code-switching because he knows it makes

students laugh, as he mentioned in an informal talk.

8.3 Participants perspectives of Code-switching

During the interviews, there was a specific question in which students

were asked to say what their opinions of code-switching were. From their

answers, there were three major perspectives emerged:

The answer of student number three was that code-switching was a

tool for him to get the message across without interrupting the communication

act:

I-Q11-st3

J: that if you need code-switching... is normal; because you justneed to communicate, and it doesnt matter if you're speakingone language or another the important thing is that you'recommunicating something.

As stated before, the student cares about the communication act not

about the language he is speaking in a conversation.

In the interview with the first student, she concluded code-switching is

a very useful tool when having restricted vocabulary, when asking her about

her opinion about code-switching:

I-Q11-St1

V: I think its cool!Interviewer: cool? (Laughs) what do you mean by cool?V: yeah, because if you dont know a word in English you cansay it in Spanish and you dont have to look for the English andkilling yourself because you dont remember. You just switch andthats it. It makes communication easier, I think.


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In the

vasquez 2009 cs in a bilingual school

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