A study of the use of code-switching: Functions and perceptions in a Thai tertiary EFL classroom

Abstract

With the linguistic globalization of English, code-switching has become a common phenomenon in communication. In the classroom, however, there are polarising perceptions regarding alternating between languages. At one end, several researchers believe that language learning should be clear of the interference of first language so as to expose students to as much target language input as possible, while those who favor code-switching contend that bilingual teaching is natural and more effective for teachers and students. The present study investigated the use of code-switching by a Thai university language lecturer in an English foundation course to see how code-switching was carried out in practice and what effects it had on English as a foreign language teaching and learning from the perspectives of the teacher and thirty-one students. Through classroom observations, a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, it was revealed that code-switching was perceived positively and used for two main purposes. First, to accommodate language learning by making the target language more comprehensible and, second, to lower students’ affective filter by establishing rapport and supportive learning environment. It thus appears that the alternate use of students’ first language and the target language can be beneficial in the language classrooms to help promote language acquisition and cordial classroom interaction.