by Chethana Gunarathne

What is code-switching?

Nowadays, in most parts of the world, especially in South Asian countries children are found to be bilingual from their early ages due to their exposure to two languages. So as a result of the exposure to two languages from their birth, these children start picking up words from both languages and using them in their speech. Experts who have studied language acquisition and development define this phenomenon of children and adults using two languages in their conversation as code- switching. Code -switching takes place when a speaker is switching between two or more languages in their speech.

Types of code-switching:

Interestingly, as those experts have pointed out, there are basically two ways in which speakers code- switch. The first way is when a speaker is using words from two languages in a single sentence, which is called an intra-sentential switch. The second way is when a speaker is switching languages between sentences either immediately or after a gap, in a single turn with the same interlocutor which is called an inter- sentential switch.

Bilingual children and code-switching

Code- switching is a common practice among bilingual children and it plays an important role in their language development and socialization. According to several studies, bilingual children practice code- switching as a part of their language socialization. However, there are also concerns regarding the effects of code-switching on child language development. One such concern is whether code- switching makes any changes in the language competency of bilingual children. The main reason as to why code-switching is used by bilinguals is to express their ideas accurately to the interlocutors who are also bilinguals. When it comes to children up to 5 years of age who grow up in bilingual environments, we can notice them code- switching in their speech. That is mainly because they are just starting to learn the languages they are exposed to and use elements from both the languages when speaking.

Research on code- switching of children has shown that children up to five years are code- switching or code- mixing to avoid lexical gaps in their speech. When they are not familiar with a word in one language to express themselves, they tend to use the word with the equivalent meaning in the other language. There are also instances where children code- switch according to the dominant language of the interlocutor, which means most of the bilingual children are capable of choosing which language to speak according to the person who is talking to them. An example is when children talk to their grandparents or caregivers who use only one of the two languages that the children are exposed to. Therefore, as explained by scholars, these choices that children make in terms of code- switching actually enhances their linguistic competency, in being able to use both languages accurately to a certain extent.

However, children with lower levels of verbal working memory may find code-switching difficult. Working memory involves the ability to keep information active in your mind for a short time (2-3 seconds) to use it for further processing. It is a temporary storage system and is vital for many day-to-day tasks (e.g. following instructions, responding in conversations, listening and reading comprehension, organization). In such children, code- switching can affect their language development negatively. That is because they would find code- switched input rather challenging as explained by certain scholars. But for children with higher levels of working memory, their language development is facilitated by code- switching. As research points out code- switching is positively associated with language competency because children tend to use code-switching to help the development of the less dominant language (read a relevant research article here).

The intra- sentential switching is the type of code- switching found mostly among the children up to the age of five. When code- switching with the other interlocutors who are also bilinguals, children tend to use elements of the language they are mostly familiar or comfortable with. Sometimes, in dealing with emotions or desires, small children tend to express themselves using one of their languages, especially the language that the mother uses frequently with the child. Overall, the main purpose of code- switching when it comes to children below the age of six years, is to express themselves clearly.

Somehow, the process of code-switching in bilingual children gets replaced by their frequent use of the dominant language as they grow up, unless they make a conscious choice of switching between two languages according to the context of the conversation and the interlocutor. Therefore, it is evident that code- switching in bilingual children below the age of six does affect their language development and socialization in terms of their speech and as research has mentioned it is necessary to pay more attention to children with special needs when using code- switching with them.