Code Switching while Reading Carmen Goslan

Code Switching while Reading

Carmen Goslan

In order to code switch effectively, students must possess a high level of understanding of the two or more cultures, as well as an understanding of the underlying structures and purposes of at least two language systems. Code switching, rather than reflecting the traditional view of a disadvantaged or semiliterate background, actually reflects an intellectual advantage. However, code switching has not been commonly perceived as a positive trait by schools, teachers, or the majority culture, meaning that a bilingual child’s ability to interface between two languages has received little attention. Historically, code switching has been discouraged in the educational system and society at large because of concerns that code switching will influence one or both of the languages and lead to language decay, however through this study of bilingual children's ability to code information in one language and express it in another, it may be possible to determine the complexity and sophistication of language usage—usage that may be an indicator of high-level linguistic behavior. In some younger students, code switching serves as an indicator of subtractive development of language. When young students do not have a firm grasp of the second language, they must reach for their primary language to fill gaps. However, students with a greater grasp of the second language demonstrate additive bilingualism, showing that they have a solid base in their primary language and therefore the second language adds to their linguistic “repertoire”. These skills are more clear during discussion than written tests. During the communication process speakers have a large range of choices and select the language that most closely conceptualizes the meaning, humor, or social purpose that is needed. Code switching then becomes a social, cultural, and linguistic tool that allows integration of experiences of two languages and two cultures into a cohesive whole. There are many different aspects of code switching, and a more advanced study would require a much more sophisticated examination of language usage.