Investigating the Use of Code-Switching among EFL Students

Abstract

Abstract: Code-switching is a sociolinguistic phenomenon prevalent in Algeria due to its multilingual status. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of code-switching among EFL students in Algeria and the reasons behind it. A sample of 44 English Didactics and Applied Languages students participated in the study, using an online questionnaire as the research tool. The results showed that code-switching is a common phenomenon among EFL students in Algeria, mainly from English to Algerian Arabic, which is widely used for communication. These results also showed that code-switching was a strategy to compensate for the lack of vocabulary in the target language. In addition, the dominant language used by students of English was Algerian Arabic, which they used both inside and outside the classroom. This study provides valuable insights into the code-switching behaviour of students of English in Algeria. The findings of this study can be used to inform language teachers and curriculum developers on how to enhance students' language learning experience and improve their proficiency in the target language. Further studies are recommended to explore the code-switching behaviour of different groups of English learners in Algeria and to investigate the effectiveness of different language teaching strategies in reducing code-switching behaviour. Keywords: Algeria; Bilingualism; code-switching; EFL students; sociolinguistics; multilingualism.