The Function of Code-Switching in EFL Classroom at Tishk International University

Abstract

The utilization of code-switching in EFL classrooms among instructors is quite common in the education field as a teaching tool. However, code-switching has been a critical issue for some teachers because they think it decreases students’ performance. In contrast, other teachers use code-switching as a teaching tool. Instructors and students of the English language in Kurdistan higher education institutions tend to use two or more languages alternately and fluently for a variety of reasons and functions in bilingual classes. The paper aims to examine the function of code-switching (CS) on EFL students. Moreover, it investigates the instructor’s view toward CS in ESL classrooms. The observation and interview were carried out to collect data among three different groups of twenty-five students. The result of the observation was compared to the interview result for better analysis. Finally, the finding of this paper proves that lectures code-switch for different purposes: explaining the topic, asking the question, checking students’ understanding, and classroom management. In addition, during the interview, two lecturers claimed that they do not employ code-switching in the classroom, but it was observed that they do when instructing.

Keywords

• code-switching
• bilingual classroom
• efl context
• target language
• mother tongue