Teachers and Students Code-Switching: The Inevitable Evil in EFL Classrooms

Abstract

Code-switching has been primarily investigated in a variety of sociocultural contexts, especially in foreign and second language settings. The majority of code-switching instances, whether in teacherinitiated activities or teacher-student interaction, seem to suggest that these interactions reflect a sophisticated language use and serve a variety of pedagogical purposes. This study aims to find out the main functions and roles of code-switching among EFL high school teachers and students in Jordan. For this purpose, classroom observation and a questionnaire were used as instruments. Two EFL teachers were regularly observed, and notes of their code-switching behaviour over four weeks were taken, examined, classified, and finally analysed. A questionnaire was used for 330 students from two secondary schools in Jordan. The students were asked to fill in a Likert-type questionnaire. From the classroom observation, the results showed that teachers codeswitch for several reasons including affective function, giving instructions and directions, and linguistic incompetence. The questionnaire administered to students showed that students codeswitch for non-linguistuc purposes such as maintaining rapport and interpersonal relationships as well as keeping the line of communication without interruption to avoid any sort of conflict or misunderstanding. This study concludes by recommending that teachers should improve students' English language skills in non-linguistic domains such as the affective and interpersonal ones.

EFL Teachers' and Learners' Perceptions of Code-switching: The Role of Learners' L2 Proficiency Levels

“…Therefore, one of the research gaps that this study filled was addressing CS functions by both teachers and students. Hussein et al (2020) aimed to identify CS's primary functions and roles among Jordan's EFL high school teachers and students. They applied a mixed method that included observing two EFL teachers in 12 classes and distributing an Arabic Likert-type questionnaire to 330 high school students.…”

Code-switching as a pedagogical practice for senior phase teachers teaching content subjects in OR-Tambo district

“…As a result, they offered suggestions for how to include some aspects of native languages in educational classroom instruction. Some literature indicated that the switching of codes improves learning and instruction in academic subjects (Hussein, Saed & Haider 2020;Kusumo Adi & Ambarini 2022;Murtiningsih et al 2022;Razak & Shah 2020). Teachers frequently establish an accepting atmosphere for communicating with learners of the English language in the senior phase even if they frequently employ code-switching to teach substantive subjects in the educational setting.…”

Written and Oral Codeswitching Prevalence: Functions and Didactic Implications in Esl Context

“…According to Razak & Shah (2020) codeswitching in ESL classrooms has positive impact used as a strategy to acquire the target language which is also one of the salient points of the current study. In fact, students code-switch for non-linguistic purposes such as establishing rapport and interpersonal relationships as well as maintaining the line of communication without disruption to circumvent any sort of conflict or misinterpretation (Hussein, et al, 2020). To supplement, Nurhamidah et al(2018) likewise emphasized that code-switching prevalence in ESL classroom has indeed been essential for both teachers and students.…”