CODE-SWITCHING AND CODE-MIXING

Code-Switching And Code-Mixing Among Ethnic Minority In The UK

Code-Switching And Code-Mixing Among Ethnic Minority In The UK

Introduction

Spanglish, Frangíais, Konglish, mix-mix, and pocho are examples of the generally pejorative labels for alternation between languages, formally known by linguists as code switching, probably the most misunderstood and unjustifiably maligned form of bilingual behavior in the world. (Jenkins, 2003, 123) As demonstrated by researchers studying the phenomenon for the past half century, however, code switching is really a most remarkable ability, worthy to be admired rather than disrespected and criticized. This entry presents what is known about code switching, a skill that has already yielded insights into children's behavior in the process of acquiring two or more languages. (Harris, 2006, 54)

Common Misunderstandings About Code Switching

The mistaken idea that code switchers are somehow confused between their two (or more) languages comes primarily from monolinguals who are unable to conceive how anyone could switch languages so effortlessly. Their monolingual brains are unable to process the rapid alternation between languages, and they erroneously imagine that the code-switching speakers are unable to keep their languages separate. This popular misconception was explained by a Texas professor of Spanish who responded to a complaint that code switchers were confusing their languages: “When the students are in my class, they speak only Spanish, and in their other classes they speak only English. But when they get together in the cafeteria for lunch, they freely code-switch with one another.” Others—equally uninformed about the nature of language—object to code switching because they see it as threatening the supposed purity of their language, although with respect to language, the notion of purity has no basis in fact. The Spanish professor's response likewise debunks this concern, since code switchers can and do separate their languages when this is called for and code-switch with peers when the context is appropriate. (Gudykunst, 1988, 84)

The Nature of Code Switching

It should be clarified at the outset that the term code as used here does not imply something secret, but reflects the idea that a language encodes information in symbolic form and that different languages can therefore be seen as different codes. For instance, the animal referred to in English by the term horse is labeled caballo in Spanish, cheval in French, Pferd in German, and ma in Chinese, all encoding the same referent. Information may be encoded grammatically in different ways as well. English, for example, indicates that a noun is the object of a verb simply by placing it after the verb, as in John hit the ball, whereas in Russian or German, this would be shown by means of an accusative-case suffix on the noun or noun phrase (just as English changes the pronoun he to him). (Ferguson, 2006, 90) In English, questions are formed by moving the first auxiliary verb (or do if there isn't one) to the beginning of the sentence, as in Is he coming? whereas in Chinese, Korean, or Vietnamese, the question would be indicated simply by placing ...