This article discusses how code-switching can vary anywhere from a single word to an entire sentence for some students. For a student in an English class, sometimes code-switching is used to express a word they either do not know in English, are more comfortable with in their familiar language/dialect, or when they feel a word or phrase is more accurate in their primary language/dialect. The article delves into how in the past English classrooms were strict about the use of other languages/dialects, however, that is increasingly not the case. This is because recent evidence suggests that English teachers' enforcement of "standard" English only in their classrooms discourages students rather than being beneficial. There is a shift in how the use of various and diverse language is used in English classrooms. Rather than viewing code-switching as a hindrance to learning the subject, English teachers need to recognize that it is a beneficial tool for students. Rather than looking up English vocabulary in a dictionary, it is more beneficial for students who code-switch to use a language/dialect more familiar to them or guess what words or phrases may be in "standard" English, as they are using their knowledge about language in general to overcome a "communication breakdown," as the article describes it. The article describes a few concerns of English teachers being that they "want their students to learn English and use English, so they don’t want to allow other languages in" and that they "often feel that English has to be the only way to communicate and learn." However, these concerns can both be dismantled by the fact that students who code-switch are more likely to absorb/engage in content, assignments, and texts that are culturally and linguistically relevant to them. For example, English teachers can create activities and assignments where students can see how the grammar works in their familiar language or dialect by contrasting it with how it works in "standard" English. 

What Should You (As an English Teacher) Take Away From This?

1. Invite students to examine a "standard" English sentence and compare it with a sentence in a language/dialect more comfortable to them. Finding grammatical patterns while making comparisons and contrasts may be an enjoyable and beneficial practice as well as engaging for your students.

2. Encourage your multilingual students to share information about themselves and their cultures. Teaching subjects like cooking and culture within your class and including it in your material, that is both culturally and linguistically relevant to your students, is an excellent means of motivating them. It encourages your students to express themselves and their identity through their languages and cultures in your classroom.

3. Allow students to communicate using "standard" English however much or little they want depending on how comfortable they feel doing so. Do not make them feel like they have to use "standard" English 100% of the time, as this is not an efficient method to teach them your content. Additionally, it will improve your students' drive and confidence if you let them do what they are linguistically comfortable with.

When I become a teacher, I will never consider code-switching to be a hindrance to my students' learning and understanding of the English curriculum. I will use it as a teaching tool with my students when/if needed, as this will help them to display their learning/knowledge about grammar and sentence structure in my class. We will do activities that are both culturally and linguistically relevant to them to engage them and to assess their understanding of the course material.  I will encourage them to share about their own linguistic practices and cultures to promote language within our classroom. Finally, I will be sure to allow students to use "standard" English as much or as little as they want depending on their comfort with it. This will help students to learn in an environment that does not feel pressured, allowing them to learn better and making them more likely to take risks in my class.

This article discusses how code-switching plays a role in students' writing in English classes. The use of multiple languages or grammatical structures in a student's single written work is known as "code-switching," and it is a concept that is explored in this article regarding student writing. Students may use code-switching to deal with lexical demands, communicate to a certain audience, tackle specific topics, quote someone, represent a group identification, etcetera. Examples of code-switching are given in the article including when students use words or phrases from a language/dialect that they are more comfortable using (or their primary language/dialect), using technical vocabulary from said language/dialect that does not have a completely accurate translation, or quoting in a different language. It illustrates that students might intentionally move between codes for a variety of reasons. The article outlines the specific factors of students' code-switching in their writing and provides helpful advice for educators on how to address and support code-switching in students. The article provides multiple bulleted suggestions for English teachers to incorporate the needs of linguistically diverse students into their course topics. A really helpful aspect of this article is that it gives examples of code-switching it writing. This could be very useful for English teachers to take into account in their classrooms.

What Should You (As an English Teacher) Take Away From This?

1. Be open-minded about the reasons your students may code-switch in their writing. English teachers should acknowledge that students might code-switch purposefully; it is important to consider the reasons behind it rather than marking it as poor practice or as "wrong." Teachers need to differentiate between purposeful code-switching and inadvertent error, ensuring that it is a conscious decision by their students.

2. It is crucial for English teachers to ensure that code-switching does not compromise the overall coherence and readability of their students' writing. As English teachers, it is tough to follow the "standard" English curriculum sometimes. Students should be able to use code-switching as a tool for them to write, but it needs to be clear and readable. Ensure that even when students are using code-switching in their writing it is still cohere and able to be followed.

3. Teachers should stress the importance of considering the rhetorical situation. This includes evaluating audience, context, and purpose when justifying the use of code-switching in your students' writing. There is no "correct" way for a student to convey what they are trying to express, so make sure to keep this in mind.

As a future English teacher, I recognize that I will be looking at and grading my students' writing assignments all the time. That being said, I will ensure to keep an open-mind about why my students' may be code-switching in their writing; as this can be a tool for students who code-switch. Going off of that, I will make sure to pay attention to the context in which my students code-switch in. This will help me better grasp or evaluate if this is intentional or not. I recognize that purposeful code-switching is helpful for students who code-switch. As for coherency, I want to make sure that regardless if my students are code-switching or not in their writing, their work is structured and has clarity. I will take these factors into account when grading my student's written assignments.  

This study, conducted by Tuti Andayani (, looks into how students use code-switching as a means of learning English as a second language. The study was conducted in an 8th-grade English classroom. Through the study, it was determined that these students used 3 different types of code-switching; word, phrase, and sentence. The study showed that during their English class, these students most commonly substituted singular words, weaving their primary language/their dialect with "standard" English. Thus, the students most commonly used word code-switching. The author concluded that the most common reason for code-switching in this context was to overcome a vocabulary obstacle. Word code-switching was used to help these students make sense of vocabulary in "standard" English. The author determined that these students, whose primary language was Indonesian, often code-switched to discuss non-lesson-based topics but would switch to "standard" English when discussing the lesson. Ultimately, the author expresses the importance for English teachers to notice patterns in their students' code-switching to create the most efficient, helpful, and comfortable space for them to thrive. Code-switching is a helpful tool for some students and should be valued in the classroom, especially when learning about English or literature.

What Should You (As an English Teacher) Take Away From This?

1. Use bilingual resources. Allow the use of bilingual dictionaries or resources during certain learning activities or when needed. Encourage students to use these bilingual resources as tools while gradually promoting and integrating independent use of the "standard" English curriculum. However, do not correct students for code-switching, as this is a helpful tool for learning, and correcting it may be damaging to the students.

2. Be linguistically and culturally sensitive to diversity in the classroom. As an English teacher especially, it is vital to foster linguistic diversity in your classroom. Ensure you are celebrating and acknowledging all the students' cultural backgrounds. Make sure your students feel like their backgrounds are appreciated by you and your teaching style. One way you can do this is by making lessons that contain relevant/diverse topics, thus encouraging students' language use across these various topics. Perhaps including diverse texts would help to both engage and encourage your students!

3. Recognize that code-switching is a linguistic skill; encourage it. When learning "standard" English and its grammar, code-switching in a classroom is helpful for students who use it because it may help them better understand the rules of "standard" English by making it more relational to a language/dialect they are more comfortable with.

In my classroom, I will provide bilingual resources for students who need them or feel more comfortable using them. I will not correct them for using code-switching, especially not in my English classroom; it is especially important because learning the rules and grammar of "standard" English is more efficient when comparing it to a linguistic style students are more comfortable/familiar with using. Furthermore, I will recognize patterns in my students' code-switching so I can better help them understand the course content. I acknowledge that there is no "right or wrong" way to speak and I will make sure my students never feel as though I am invalidating their primary language/dialect. I will definitely encourage and celebrate code-switching in my classroom. I will make lessons that include culturally and linguistically relevant books and texts for my students to create an engaging/inclusive environment. I want all my students to feel confident about their skills in my class.

The Ted Talk "Why English Class is Silencing Students of Color" by Jamila Lyiscott discusses how outside of educational institutions code switching is used and even praised. However, the speaker discusses how systematically, through colonialism, "the language of the people who were being oppressed was divorced from the community" (Lyiscott 7:38).  She points out various instances in popular culture where African-American English is used. For example, she references the McDonald's "I'm Lovin' it" slogan. She delves into how the absence of the verb "to be" is a characteristic of African-American English that the company has used as a marketing strategy. Contrastingly, she highlights that despite the value of African-American English in pop culture, it is not valued in educational spaces. She explains that this is because of institutional racism in the education system, rooted in colonialism. Ultimately, she declares that teachers should nurture code-switching in classrooms, rather than labeling it as "wrong," to create a more inclusive environment for all students. 

What Should You (As An English Teacher) Take Away From This?

1. Acknowledge that there are multiple ways to understand and articulate the world around us. Despite the institutional concept of "standardized" English, there is no singular "correct" way to write, read, make sense of, or articulate anything. Work with students with this in mind, as a response that is not necessarily in "standard" English is not incorrect.

2. Incorporate, validate, and celebrate linguistic diversity. Incorporate code-switching into your teaching style and assignments. Validate code-switching students by including them within your teaching style rather than ostracizing them, and celebrate their knowledge and individual backgrounds.

3. Morph to your students with linguistically relevant assignments and teaching styles. This can include changing the format of assignments (for example, Lyiscott's hip-hop classroom style) or changing the way you position yourself and your students in the classroom (for example, Lyiscott's students sit in a circle to create a more comfortable space). It is vital to continuously question "standard" pedagogies. 

I will ensure to incorporate, validate, and celebrate linguistic diversity so that no student feels disheartened in my English classroom. This means that I will celebrate their knowledge and individual backgrounds by incorporating code-switching into my teaching styles by not making students feel like they are "wrong" for code-switching. Additonally, I will make my assignments both linguistically and culturally relevant to engage my students in what we are learning. I will always keep in mind that, as a lover of the English subject, there is not one "correct" way to express, make sense of, or understand the concepts I am teaching. I will make sure to create a comfortable and inclusive classroom.