The elementary function of code in the field of sociolinguistics is primarily a method used in order to express thoughts and above all, oneself. People who have an understanding of two (bilingual) or more languages (multilingual) are able to something known as code-switching in order to further express themselves. This essay will explore the phenomena of basic code-switching in greater detail, including how and when it occurs by utilising various pieces of research in order to gain a greater understanding of a selection of the disparate features.
The phenomenon of code-switching is one of the most fascinating sociolinguistic occurring in modern day society and is a common phenomenon in the linguistics community between bilinguals and multi-linguals. Defined simply by The Oxford Dictionary, code-switching is “The practice of altering between two or more languages or varieties of language in conversation.” In more depth, according to Gluth (2002), generally, code-switching is the fusing of different components of two linguistic varieties within a single utterance. Thus, as demonstrated previously by Gluth, code-switching develops in one sentence and can occur in the use of everyday language by bilinguals. By way of example, code-switching is present where the sentence begins in Spanish and ends in English or when the entirety of the sentence is in English with only one word in English. In more detail, Mabule (2015) describes how the phenomenon can be defined as “alternations can include sentences and/or phrases from both languages in a long and successive sentence or paragraph.”
More often than not, code-switching is mistaken for its psycholinguistic counterpart, code-mixing. The two are closely related, however as detailed by Muysken (2000), “I am using the term code-mixing to refer to all cases where lexical items and grammatical features from two languages appear in one sentence.” To put it simply, there are two main features which comprise code-switching: inter-sentential and intra-sentential. Code-mixing falls under the idea of intra-sentential code-switching as it uses both grammar and vocabulary from the two languages. Muysken then goes on to differentiate the two further; “…code-switching will be reserved for the rapid succession of several languages in a single speech event…” In simpler terms, Professor Bernadette O’Rourke (2017) describes the two phenomena separately. According to O’Rourke, code-switching is defined as two or more languages used in the same conversation but which are kept separate. O’Rourke then goes on to define code-mixing as two languages fused together.
Code-switching tends to occur in informal conversational settings in which the bilingual or multilingual participants share two or more languages between them. The phenomenon is also present mostly in bilingual communities. In ‘Facilitating Multicultural Groups: A Practical Guide by Christine Hogan (20__), the author describes the usage of code-switching in an informal situation; “Spanish-speaking migrant families in the United States speak a mixture of Spanish and English words known as ‘Spanglish’.” This amalgamation of the two languages is particularly prominent in areas in close proximity to the Mexican-American border, principally in children. After English, Spanish is the most commonly spoken language in the world, therefore making it more susceptible to code-switching. One of the most notable speakers of ‘Spanglish’ is Modern Family actress, Sophia Vergara. Vergara herself uses code-switching on a regular basis, predominantly on social media such as Facebook. Even in the past month, the actress has written “Se acabó la fiesta, thank u to all our friends and family…” By utilising code-switching when talking about the subject (se acabó la fiesta means the party is over), she creates emphasis.
In recent years, researchers have attempted to determine what makes bilinguals and multi-linguals utilise the phenomena of code-switching. Prolific sociolinguists such as Gumperz, who in 1982, defined six different code-switching functions which when used by bilinguals as an additional tool to convey colloquialisms and demonstrate how various statements relate to each other. Gumperz (1982), describes these as “any verbal sign that, when processed in co-occurrence with grammatical and lexical signs, serves to contrast the contextual ground for situated interpretation and thereby affects how constituent messages are understood’ (Gumperz, 1982).
In addition to these linguistic features defined by Gumperz, there are also societal aspects to code-switching which concern how language is used in the portrayal of acceptance in societies and communities. In code-switching, the utilisation of slang, in particular, can often be used as a gateway into a group and a way of feeling more comfortable. In order to demonstrate this further Hogan (2007) describes why some societies use it in order to welcome as without it, their environment would not be the same; “…may feel just as alien when visiting ethnic groups as foreign development workers from the outside.”
However, to some sociolinguists, when code-switching is used, it does not always give off positive connotations. As stated by Wardhaugh (2000), “People are usually required to select a particular set of codes whenever they choose to speak. They also decide to switch from one code to another or mix codes even within sometimes every utterance and thereby create a new code.” Wardhaugh’s description of code-switching demonstrates how not all prolific researchers hold code-switching in high regard. Language purists, even though code-switching has modernised terminology and our vocabulary, this practice can be viewed as disrespectful to some language purists. According to Poplack (2000), “It is clear that code-switching is a verbal skill requiring a large degree of competence in more than one language, rather than a defect arising from insufficient knowledge of one or the other language.” To follow, Mabule (2015) further adds that this stance on the phenomena demonstrates an incompetence where the speakers are concerned.
By way of conclusion, code-switching is a wholly unique thing albeit it draws great similarities to code-mixing. However, it is clear that the phenomena of code-switching has yet to be researched fully in much greater detail but having studied evidence, it is obvious that, like many things, code-switching has both negatives and positives. Language purists view code-switching as disrespectful to original vocabulary and see it as a lack of competence in the speakers’ chosen languages. That being said, code-switching can also be viewed as a new form of communication in order to make the language appear more appealing to speakers. Slang, for example, can be used in informal situations to make conversation participants engage further in the exchange. Really, code-switching and its counterpart of code-mixing is a fascinating phenomenon whichever way it is studied.