Functions of code-switching in the English language classroom: A case of Dambai College of Education, Ghana
Keywords:
classroom, code switching, English lesson, multilingual, teachersAbstract
Code switching is a common linguistic practice among bilingual and multilingual speakers all over the word Ghana is no exception. This phenomenon manifests itself in diverse ways and to achieve different goals. This paper examines the alternating use of English language and Ewe language during English language period against the language policy in Ghana in Dambai College of Education. The medium of instruction from upper primary to tertiary level is solely English language. This paper looks at the reasons for code-switching in the English language classroom, when tutors code switch, types of interactions that necessitate code-switching, interaction groups, functions of code-switching, importance of code-switching and related studies. Data was collected through observation, interview and audio-recordings. Each tutor was observed, their languages use were recorded, transcribed and grouped into themes and then analyzed. The results of the study showed that tutors and students of Dambai College of Education do code-switch for a number of reasons. The analysis of the data also revealed that, in most cases, code switching by tutors of Dambai College of Education was done to serve pedagogical purposes.
Downloads
References
Malik, L. (1994). Sociolinguistics: A study of code-switching. New Delhi: Anmol.
David, M. K. (2003). The Pakistani community in Machang, Kelantan language shift. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 161, 47-53.
Sert, O. (2005). The functions of code-switching in ELT classrooms. TESL Journal, 11(8), Retrieved from http://iteslj.org
Heller, M. (1990). Linguistic minorities and modernity. London: Longman.
Gumperz, J. J. (1982). Conventional code-switching in discourse strategies. London: Cambridge University Press, 59-99.
Gumperz, J., & Levinson, S. (Eds.). (1996). Rethinking linguistic relativity. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Becker, R. R. (2001). Spanish-English code switching in a bilingual academic context. Reading Horizons, 42, 100-115.
Merritt, M. A., Cleghorn, A., Abagi, J. O., & Bunyi, G. (1992). Socialising Multilingualism: Determinants of codeswitching in Kenyan Primary Classrooms. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 13(1/2), 103-121.
Panasuk, R. M. & Todd, J. (2005). Effectiveness of lesson planning: Factor analysis. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 32(3).
Quarcoo, M. (2013). Code-switching in academic discussion: A discourse strategy by the student in University of Education, Winneba (Unpublished PhD. Thesis) University of Ghana, Legon.
Ferguson, G. (2003). Classroom code-switching in post-colonial contexts: functions, attitudes and policies. In: AILA Review, 16, 38-5.
Auerbach, E. R. (1993). Reexamining English only in the Esl classroom. TESOL Quarterly, 7(1): 9-32. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.2307/3586949
Eldridge, J. (1996). Code-switching in a Turkish secondary school. ELT Journal, 50(4), 303-311.
Adendorff, R. (1993). Code switching among Zulu-speaking teachers and their pupils: Its function and implication for teacher education. In Southern African Journal of Applied Language Studies, 2(1), 3-26.
Hymes, D. H. (1972). On Communicative Competence. In J.B. Pride, & J. Holmes (Eds.), Sociolinguistics. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Books
Ovando, C. J., & Combs, M. C. (2012). Bilingual and ESL classrooms: Teaching in multicultural contexts. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Moghadam, S. H., Samad, A. A., & Shahraki, E. R. (2012). Code switching as a medium of instruction in an EFL classroom. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 2(11), 2219- 2225.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2020 John Bismark Tefeh
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
This open-access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license.
You are free to: Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms: Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
No additional restrictions You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
