Nghiên cứu việc sử dụng chuyển ngữ của sinh viên trong các lớp học tiếng anh chuyên ngành cho nghề kỹ thuật chế biến món ăn tại trường cao đẳng nghề du lịch huế

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
HUE UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
------------

CAO HOANG NGUYET THANH

A STUDY ON THE USE OF CODE-SWITCHING
BY STUDENTS IN VOCATIONAL ENGLISH CLASSES
FOR CULINARY ARTS AT HUE TOURISM COLLEGE

MA THESIS IN THEORY AND METHODOLOGY
OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts,

Hue University of Foreign Languages

HUE, 2016


MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
HUE UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
------------

CAO HOANG NGUYET THANH

A STUDY ON THE USE OF CODE-SWITCHING
BY STUDENTS IN VOCATIONAL ENGLISH CLASSES
FOR CULINARY ARTS AT HUE TOURISM COLLEGE

MA THESIS IN THEORY AND METHODOLOGY

OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING
CODE: 60.14.01.11

SUPERVISOR: ASSOC.PROF.DR. LE PHAM HOAI HUONG

HUE, 2016
i


BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO
ĐẠI HỌC HUẾ
TRƢỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ
------------

CAO HOÀNG NGUYỆT THANH

NGHIÊN CỨU VIỆC SỬ DỤNG CHUYỂN NGỮ
CỦA SINH VIÊN TRONG CÁC LỚP HỌC TIẾNG ANH
CHUYÊN NGÀNH DÀNH CHO NGHỀ KỸ THUẬT CHẾ BIẾN
MÓN ĂN TẠI TRƢỜNG CAO ĐẲNG NGHỀ DU LỊCH HUẾ

LUẬN VĂN THẠC SỸ LÝ LUẬN VÀ PHƢƠNG PHÁP
DẠY HỌC BỘ MÔN TIẾNG ANH
MÃ SỐ: 60.14.01.11

NGƢỜI HƢỚNG DẪN KHOA HỌC:
PGS.TS. LÊ PHẠM HOÀI HƢƠNG

HUẾ, 2016
ii

STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY
This work has not previously been submitted for a degree or diploma in any
university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no
material previously published or written by another person except where due
reference is made in the thesis itself.

Date: 01 / 7 / 2016
Signature

Cao Hoang Nguyet Thanh

iii


ABSTRACT
This thesis studied the use of code-switching by students in vocational
English classes for culinary art at Hue Tourism College (HUETC). It firstly
focused on investigating students‟ perceptions and attitudes towards codeswitching in learning vocational English for culinary arts. Secondly, the way how
students used code-switching in learning vocational English for culinary art was
carried out. Finally the benefits of code-switching for students learning
vocational English for culinary arts were investigated.
This study took place at HUETC under the main management of Ministry
of Sports, Culture and Tourism. The participants included students whose majors
are culinary art and vocational English was a compulsory subject for two
semesters. Data collection methods consisted of audio-recordings, questionnaires
and interviews.
The findings revealed that a majority of culinary art students perceived the
important role and the necessity of code-switching in learning vocational

English. Students reported that they often code-switched with their vocational
English teachers the most in communication activities. Among three main types
of code-switching, intersentential switching and intrasentential switching are
their first choices because of their popularity and students‟ language proficiency.
Among many aspects of vocational English for culinary art students, explaining
dishes, Asian and international dishes were the most popular aspects that students
often code-switched. Regarding the benefits of code-switching, they assumed
that code-switching help students less afraid of vocational English, less isolated
in the classes and also love vocational English for culinary arts much more.
Based on the findings, some pedagogical implications on students, teachers
and Hue Tourism College were made with regards to the use of code-switching
in vocational English classes.

iv


Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I would like to express my
profound gratitude towards Mr. Vu Hoai Phuong –
Rector of Hue Tourism College, College Management
Board, Human Resources Department and many other
Departments, my colleagues and my students for
facilitating me to fullfil my M.A courses and thesis at
Hue University of Foreign Languages.
Especially, I would like to say the most sincere
thanks to my supervisor Ms. Le Pham Hoai Huong,
Assoc.Prof.Dr who devoted valuable time to examine my
thesis, support me with many precise comments,
feedback and suggestions and encourage me at every
stage of carrying out this thesis. My thesis would not be

completed without her guidance.
Nextly, my special thanks go to counter-arguers who
have read my thesis and gave me highly critical and
constructive ideas as well as provided me with a great
deal of comments and suggestions to improve this thesis.
Furthermore, I am really grateful to all teachers
teaching M.A course and my classmates in this course as
well for their teaching, advice, assistance and
recommendations during the time I have studied at Hue
University of Foreign Languages.
Finally, I would like to send my thankful words to
my family, and my friends for supporting me with care,
with encouragement and understanding. Without their
v


assistance, it is obviously difficult for myself to finish my
thesis on time.
Cao Hoang Nguyet Thanh

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents

Page(s)

SUBCOVER PAGES .............................................................................................. i
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ...................................................................... iii
ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................... v
ABBREVIATIONS............................................................................................... xi

LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................... xii
LIST OF FIGURES............................................................................................. xiii
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................ 1
1.1. Rationale ..................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Research aims ............................................................................................. 5
1.3. Research questions ...................................................................................... 5
1.4. Research scope ............................................................................................ 6
1.5. Research significance ................................................................................. 6
1.6. The structure of the research ....................................................................... 6
CHAPTER II. LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................... 8
2.1. Introduction ................................................................................................. 8
2.2. Code-switching ........................................................................................... 8
2.2.1. The definition of code-switching......................................................... 8
2.2.2. Code-switching in compensatory strategies ...................................... 10
2.2.3. Code-switching in the relalionship with code-matching, borrowing,
and pidginization ......................................................................................... 11

vi


2.2.3.1 Code-mixing ................................................................................ 11
2.2.3.2. Borrowing .................................................................................. 13
2.2.3.3. Pidginization .............................................................................. 14
2.2.4. Types of code-switching.................................................................... 15
2.2.4.1. Intersentential switching ............................................................ 15
2.2.4.2. Intrasentential switching ............................................................ 16
2.2.4.3. Tag switching ............................................................................. 18
2.2.5. Characteristics of code-switching...................................................... 18
2.2.6. The functions of code-switching ....................................................... 19
2.3. The use of code-switching in vocational English classes ......................... 21

2.3.1. Code-switching in communication skill in vocational English classes ... 21
2.3.2 Activities for code-switching in vocational English classrooms ....... 22
2.3.2.1. Role-play .................................................................................... 22
2.3.2.2. Topic presentation ...................................................................... 24
2.3.2.3 Question and answer activity ...................................................... 25
2.3.2.4. Poster presentation ..................................................................... 26
2.3.3. Code-switching in English for vocational purposes .......................... 26
2.4. Teaching and learning vocational English for culinary art students at
Hue Tourism College ....................................................................................... 27
2.4.1. The definition of culinary art ............................................................. 27
2.4.2. Characteristics of culinary art students at Hue Tourism College ...... 28
2.5. National curriculum for vocational English for culinary art students at
Hue Tourism College ....................................................................................... 30
2.5.1. Vocational English curriculum at Hue Tourism College .................. 31
2.5.2. English Language proficiency of students at Hue Tourism College . 31
2.6. Teachers of vocational English at Hue Tourism College ......................... 33
2.6.1. Content teachers ................................................................................ 33
2.6.2. Content teachers teaching vocational English at Hue Tourism College . 33
2.7. Previous studies related to this research ................................................... 35
2.8. Summary ................................................................................................... 36
CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY ................................................................. 38

vii


3.1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 38
3.2. Research methododology.......................................................................... 38
3.3. Research setting ........................................................................................ 39
3.4. Participants ................................................................................................ 40
3.5. Data collection instruments ...................................................................... 41

3.5.1. Audio-recording in vocational English classes ................................. 41
3.5.2 Student questionnaire ......................................................................... 41
3.5.3. Interview ............................................................................................ 42
3.5.4. Pilot study .......................................................................................... 43
3.6. Data analysis ............................................................................................. 44
3.7. Summary ................................................................................................... 45
CHAPTER IV. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ............................................ 46
4.1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 46
4.2. Findings .................................................................................................... 46
4.2.1. Students‟ perceptions and attitudes towards code-switching in
learning vocational English for culinary arts .............................................. 46
4.2.1.1 The impacts when teachers‟ use of English only (the use of
ONLY–ENGLISH policy) in vocational English classes ....................... 47
4.2.1.2. Students‟ perceptions on the use of compensatory strategies .... 49
4.2.1.3. Frequency of using code-switching in vocational English classes .. 51
4.2.1.4. Factors influencing culinary art students‟ choice of using
code-switching........................................................................................ 52
4.2.1.5 Purposes of code–switching by students in vocational English
classes ...................................................................................................... 55
4.2.2. How culinary art students use code-switching in vocational English
classes........................................................................................................... 57
4.2.2.1. The use of code-switching types between first semester and
second semester students in vocational English classes ......................... 57
4.2.2.2. The most useful types of code-switching for vocational
English learning....................................................................................... 60
4.2.2.3. Aspects of vocational English in which culinary art students
use code-switching .................................................................................. 62

viii

4.2.2.4. The skills in which students often code-switch ......................... 66
4.2.2.5. People whom students often code-switch in vocational English
classes with .............................................................................................. 69
4.2.3. The use of code-switching helps students in learning vocational
English for culinary art ................................................................................ 71
4.2.3.1. The necessity of using code-switching in vocational English
classes ...................................................................................................... 71
4.2.3.2. Disadvantages of using code-switching ..................................... 72
4.2.3.3. Students‟ perceptions of teachers‟ use of code-switching ............. 74
4.2.3.4. Teachers‟ use of code-switching in vocational English classes
for culinary art students ........................................................................... 77
4.2.3.5. Benefits by using code-switching in learning vocational
English. .................................................................................................... 78
4.3. Summary ................................................................................................... 81
CHAPTER V. CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS, LIMITATIONS AND
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES ................................................. 82
5.1. Summary of key findings .......................................................................... 82
5.1.1. Students‟ perceptions and attitudes towards code-switching in
learning vocational English for culinary art ................................................ 82
5.1.2. The way how students use code-switching in learning vocational
English for culinary art ................................................................................ 83
5.1.3. How code-switching helps students in learning vocational English
for culinary art ............................................................................................. 84
5.2. Implications .............................................................................................. 85
5.2.1. Implications for students ................................................................... 85
5.2.2. Implications for teachers ................................................................... 87
5.2.3. Implications for Hue Tourism College (HUETC) ............................. 88
5.3. Contribution of this study ......................................................................... 89
5.4. Limitations of this study ........................................................................... 90

5.5. Suggestions for further studies ................................................................. 90
REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 92

ix


APPENDICES

x


ABBREVIATIONS
CS

:

Code-switching

HUETC

:

Hue Tourism College

EFL

:

English as a Forein Language

%

:

Percentage

HUFL

:

Hue University of Foreign Languages

L1

:

First language

L2

:

Second language

xi


LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.1:

Impacts of teachers‟ use of English only (the use of ONLYENGLISH POLICY) in vocational English classes ...................... 47

Table 4.2:

Students‟ perceptions of compensatory strategies ......................... 50

Table 4.3:

Factors influencing culinary art students‟ choice of using codeswitching ........................................................................................ 53

Table 4.4:

Purposes of code-switching by students in vocational English
classes ............................................................................................. 55

Tables 4.5:

Code-switching‟s types that first semester and second semester
students often use in the vocational English classes ...................... 58

Tables 4.6:

The most useful code-switching types in vocational English
learning .......................................................................................... 61

Table 4.7:

Aspects of vocational English in which culinary art students
often use code-switching................................................................ 62

Table 4.8:

The skills in which students often code-switch ............................. 66

Tables 4.9:

Disadvantages of using code-switching ......................................... 73

Table 4.10:

Students‟ perceptions of teachers‟ use of code-switching ............. 74

Tables 4.11: Benefits of using code-switching in learning vocational English ... 79

xii


LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.1: Reasons for code-switching (Aranoff and Miller, 2003, p.523) ...... 21
Figure 4.1: Frequency of using code-switching in vocational English classes ........ 51
Figure 4.2: People whom students often code-switch in vocational English
classes with ....................................................................................... 69
Figure 4.3: The necessity of using code-switching ............................................. 72
Figure 4.4: Teachers‟ use code-switching in vocational English classes ........... 77

xiii


CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

1.1. Rationale
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands,
that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his
language, that goes to his heart”
Nelson Mandela
The innovation towards the foreign language education is obviously
considered as one of the most outstanding issues for the development of second
language acquisition nowadays. Identifying the methodology on how to foster the
language ability, communication competence, and many other linguistic aspects
of learners are becoming the outstanding matters. From the statement of
President Nelson Mandela above, we can realize that finding a good way to
transfer the language knowledge towards learners definitely plays an important
role. In particular, the code of language between teachers and students in second
language acquisition evokes an important aspect of language learning and
teaching a foreign language. The shift to the native language reveals the solution
of speakers to overcome the linguistic difficulties face towards the target
language. According to Nguyen (2013), code-switching is potentially taken place
in any foreign language classrooms around the world where teachers are teaching
a foreign language (FL) or a second language (SL). Basically, foreign language
learning environment is full of language strategies as well as communication
strategy such as avoidance, translation, interference, miming, and many others.
However, one of these vital strategies students prefer to use despite the
compulsory of one language policy with a lot of barriers and “fall behind
academically while they are developing the language proficiency to learn
academics in their second language”, that is the use of code-switching as a
linguistic base for learning.
Secondly, according to the World Atlas of Language Structure (2014),
there are nearly seven thousand languages spoken throughout the world and more

1

than half of the worlds‟ population is estimated to be bilingual and to be engaged
in code-switching. Due to such statistics, it becomes obvious that nowadays the
alternation between two languages is rather the norm than exception in many
communities. Code-switching gradually maximizes its importance in language
learning. According to Brown (2007), most foreign language learners engage in
code-switching - the act of inserting words, phrases, or even longer stretches of
one language into the other - especially when communicating with other
speakers. In the past years, code-switching is slightly restricted, if not banned, in
most second language classes because of the fact that the widespread of native
language will incidentally limit the language proficiency of students as well as
the language approach tendency.

However, through many reliable studies

recently, we can see that the effect of the native language on the second language
acquisition or the use of L1 is considerable. Using a framework based on
conversation analysis, Auer (1984, 1995, 1998) found that students code-switch
not only as a fallback method when their knowledge of the L2 fails them, or for
other participant-related functions, but also for discourse-related functions that
contextualize the interactional meaning of their utterances. Actually, through the
use of code-switching patterns, students contribute to share the understanding in
their knowledge, ideas, interaction and set themselves as members of that
community (Wendy, 1998).
Thirdly, the use of native language by code-switching day by day receives
the agreement from many reliable researchers concerning the second language
acquisition in the world. Cook (2011) stated that the mingle between native
language and target language in classroom environment encouraged learners to
match the invisible processes in the brain and assume the ability to transfer

between languages (code-switch) in a normal psycho-linguistic process. Plus,
Simon (2001) raises the question whether the methodology used for analyzing
social code-switching is adequate in the classroom context. Following his point
of view, code-switching can be used as part of an actual teaching methodology.
When the teacher is aware of the language of the students, the classroom is a
setting that potentially uses code-switching. In addition, code-switching is

2


definitely necessary in the language classrooms because of the fact that if the
teacher and students share the same language, in some extent, both teachers and
students might comfortably find out which aspects of linguistic matters they get
troubles in, create a comfortable atmosphere in the EFL classroom, help students
improve the way they acquire a second language, and provide students with
opportunities to say what they tend to say in classrooms (Levine, 2003).
Especially, in nature, code-switching promotes its functions in developing
the language competence of learners. From the research of Rolin-Ianziti and
Brownlie (2002), they both emphasized the three positive functions of codeswitching that create the potential benefits towards language learners: 1)
transition, 2) meta-linguistic uses, and 3) communicative uses. Through those
functions, code-switching obviously plays a crucial role for learners to organize,
enhance and enrich their ability in second language acquisition under the
assistance of vocational English teachers.
Nevertheless, most importantly, Decision 761/QĐ-TTg on May 23rd, 2014
signed by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dzung for the “High-qualified Vocational
College Plan towards 2020” echoes six colleges including Hue Tourism College
to extend the substainable future development. From this Decision, along with
other five vocational tourism colleges in Vietnam, Hue Tourism College is wellorganized step by step so that its education quality meets the needs of
international economic integration market AEC between ASEAN countries at the
end of 2015. It means that students are good at not only knowledge, occupational

skills but also English. When integration market AEC is widely opened, it
requires a suitable investment of each school towards the quality of skill
education, the tourism infrastructure, training curriculum, foreign language as
well as tourism labour. Besides, according to the strategic plan by Ministry of
Labor, Invalids and Social affairs (2013), Hue Tourism College is planned to be
an international tourism college with six branches reaching the international
level. As required in this development plan, all of students in this college must
have a qualified foreign language proficiency after graduation. Respecting this
requirement, students have to learn English as their major; the ratio of English

3


among other subjects must be definitely high, especially students learning
culinary arts and they must obtain a language outcome proficiency of TOEIC 350
to 450. Understanding the importance of foreign language in integration
environment; however, even though there is an increase in total periods for
learning English, English competence of students is not actually as high as
expected and if this situation still continues in the future, it will impact the
quality of the labor and threaten the competition of labor among ASEAN
countries and obstruct the integration of Vietnamese labour in general and Hue
Tourism College students in particular towards AEC integration (Report of
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 2013).
One of the most influential reasons is that as a teacher teaching at Hue
Tourism College for nearly eleven years, looking at my students‟ English
proficiency, many questions are raised towards how to teach English effectively
such as what strategies are suitable for teaching to encourage students‟ English
learning, whether I should blend to use both Vietnamese and English in classes
or not. Indeed, many solutions have been taken into consideration for many
years, the language deficiency of culinary art students at Hue Tourism College is

still in question. The reasons for this matter repeat as a circle: First of all, the
vocational English curriculum for culinary arts is difficult with its unique
characteristics as terminologies, cooking procedures, food garnishment, food
requirement, etc. Secondly, the language background of learners is limited even
though they approximately have seven years learning English. Creating a
possitive motivation in language learning, applying the new methodology and
improving quality of teaching English are vital tasks at my college nowadays. In
reality, many teachers at my college as well as myself have been applying new
methodology but it seems to be very difficult to launch the English ability of
students. Although students know grammar, sentence structures, vocabulary, they
cannot convert them all in English without the support of code-switching
between L1 and L2 with their partners and teachers. Students can use codeswitching as a supporting strategy for acquiring the second language (Quing,
2010). In addition, students will be more eager to learn and teachers also have a

4


great deal of motivation as well as the scaffolding method to teach. Obviously,
teaching English for culinary arts is not a simple task because teachers are good
at not only English but also the specific knowledge on cooking fields. Teacher
has to guide students the way how to combine the professional knowledge and
English through code-switching for communicating.
Tracing back from the above particular reasons and with the expectation
of how to help students use specialized code-switching to promote their
communicative ability in learning vocational English, I would like to carry out
the study on the use of code-switching by students in vocational English classes
for culinary arts at Hue Tourism College.
1.2. Research aims
Within the constraint of this study, I would like to identify the core aim of
this research as the code-switching strategy of students in vocational English

classes for culinary art branch at Hue Tourism College. This research is
especially useful for the teachers who use the communicative approach in
teaching vocational English. The aims of this research focus on students‟
attitudes and perceptions towards code-switching and how code-switching is
used by culinary art students in vocational English classrooms. Besides, through
implications and conclusion, this research suggests the ways how to help students
effectively use code-switching in vocational English classes.
1.3. Research questions
This research is carried out with the hope that it will provide the convinced
information about the use of code-switching by students in vocational English
classes for culinary arts at Hue Tourism College. Therefore, tracing back to the
previous aims, this research focuses on answering the following research questions:
1. What are students‟ perceptions and attitudes towards code-switching in
learning vocational English for culinary arts?
2. How do students use code-switching in learning vocational English for
culinary arts?
3. How does code-switching help students in learning vocational English for
culinary arts?

5


1.4. Research scope
This research pays main attention to the vocational English learning and
teaching at Hue Tourism College under the management of the Ministry of
Culture, Sports and Tourism and in particular. Therefore, I would like to narrow
down the scope of this study on the students learning culinary arts at Hue
Tourism College and vocational English in the National curriculum is a
compulsory subject. The scope of this study also analyzes the students‟ codeswitching during the time they acquire communication activities in English
language in vocational English classes. It can be foreseen that the matter

occuring in this study can be a case that other teachers as well as students at
many colleges in Vietnam deal with during the time they teach and study
vocational English for their professional career - Culinary arts.
1.5. Research significance
This research can be an effective material for teachers teaching vocational
English not only at Hue Tourism College but also for any vocational colleges in
Vietnam. From this research, I do hope that this is an approachable reference
channel to help English teachers find out suitable methodology regarding codeswitching strategy in which code-switching is considered as an effective tool for
enhancing vocational English learning in the coming future.
1.6. The structure of the research
This study consists of five chapters respectively following with first
introduction, literature review, methodology, findings and discussion and finally
conclusion, implications, limitations and suggestions for further studies.
Chapter I: Introduction
This chapter introduces the background of the research, its rationale and
purposes of the study. In addition, the aims of the research, the scope and the
research significance are presented in this first chapter.
Chapter II: Literature review
This chapter reviews all the materials related to the topic as well as the
previous research. This chapter also presents a critical literature on the use of
code-switching by culinary art students in vocational English classes. It briefly

6


describes and analyzes major theories as well as approaches of code-switching to
promote the second language acquisition. From which the research questions of
the study are allocated. Besides, this chapter mainly focuses on the phenomenon
of code-switching, its types, its functions, its appearance in the context of foreign
language acquisition. In addition, the summary of previous studies describes the

nature of code-switching in second language acquisition, the influence of codeswitching towards the language approach of students and which aspects of codeswitching that effect the learning process or language behavior of students.
Chapter III: Methodology
This chapter basically presents the methodology of the study. By the
means of quantitative and qualitative analysis, the research methods are carried
out to catch the convinced information from collecting the data. Within the
constraint of this research, questionnaires, interviews towards students and
teachers, and classroom audio-recordings are strongly emphasized. All data in
this chapter are processed by statistic software SPSS 20.0.
Chapter IV: Findings and discussion
This chapter concentrates on analyzing the data from the audio recording,
questionnaires, and interviews from culinary art students. Data are discussed with
reference to the previous literature review in chapter Two.
Chapter V: Conclusion, implications and suggestions
The final chapter summarizes the key findings of the study and points out
educational implications, suggestions and conclusion towards the use of codeswitching in vocational English classes for culinary art students at Hue Tourism
College based on the results in chapter Four.

7


CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Introduction
The purpose of this chapter is to examine concerning literature on codeswitching, the definition of code-switching, the existence of code-switching in
compensatory strategies, its types and its functions as well as characteristics of
code-switching. Besides, the chapter presents the influence of code-switching in
oral communication skill, the programme of vocational English for culinary art
students and related practical curriculum. Learners‟ proficiency and content
teachers in charge of teaching vocational English are obviously mentioned. What
is more, previous studies on code-switching are particularly reviewed in this

chapter.
2.2. Code-switching
2.2.1. The definition of code-switching
Code-switching was a contemporary issue known since the early twentieth
century during the first observations in the second language acquisition
environment. At the new-born occurrence, code-switching has received both the
agreement and disagreement from many linguistic researchers because of its
nature. Based on several studies of linguistics at that time, the negative beliefs
towards code-switching were needed to be changed as they strongly impacted
upon students‟ success or failure at schools (Borg, 2001). Among the agreement
researchers, Gumperz (1982:59) emphasized the importance of code-switching
by defining code-switching as the juxtaposition within the same speech exchange
of passages of speech belonging to two different grammatical systems or
subsystems. However, code-switching which is considered as the phenomenon
of switching from one language to another in the same discourse (Nunan and
Carter, 2001) was not examined for a long period of time until comtemporary
research based on the importance of code-switching are taken into account.
According to Fatemi and Barani (2014), in the entire first half of the twentieth
century and in large parts of the second half, code-switching was considered as

8


something that happened randomly, without a rational pattern behind it, as a
result of imperfect second language learning. Bokamba (1988:23) considers
code-switching as the most common and natural phenomena that appears in any
bilingual or multilingual speech community. From his point of view, learners
tend to use code-switching as a gapfilling in daily language communication.
Furthermore, Hoffmann (1991:110) identifies code-switching as “the alternate
use of two languages or linguistic varieties within the same utterance or during

the same conversation”. From his viewpoint, code-switching naturally appears
during the learners‟ process of acquiring a foreign language and its existence is a
certainty.
Other numerous studies have continuously attempted to explain what a
code-switching is. According to Brown (2007), code-switching differs from other
language phenomena such as pidgins, creoles, calques, or language interference.
Code-switching is the use of a first or third language within a stream of speech in
the second language. In his opinion, code-switching is probably used as a learning
strategy by learners to entirely compensate their language limitations.
Subconsciously, code-switching occurs at any stages of second language
acquisition by using the native language to fill in missing knowledge even though
any language policies are compulsorily recommended (Littlewood and Yu, 2009).
Crystal (2003, 78:79) defines code-switching as “a set of conventions for
converting one signaling system into another”. From code-switching, a system of
communication involving language is carried out by the alternation of two
languages within a single discourse, sentence, or constituent.
According to Grosjean (1982:147), code-switching is the alternation in the
use of two languages (or even more) in the same discourse within words, clauses,
or sentences. The switch in code-switching mainly focuses on the language, not
an integration of the word, clause or sentence into the other language. From
code-switching, a large degree of linguistic competence is enhanced and
promoted, rather than a defect arising from insufficient of one or the other. From
this researcher‟s main findings, learners find code-switching as a language
strategy to fill in the gap in their language deficiency.

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2.2.2. Code-switching in compensatory strategies
In the early years of 1970s, many researchers have paid much attention to

communication strategies - strategies that consider as “potential conscious plans
for solving what to an individual presents itself as a problem in searching a
particular communicative goal” (Faerch and Kasper, 1983a, p.36). However,
beside avoidance strategy, studies of the last decades in twentieth century do
strongly analyze and emphasize the presence of compensatory nature of
communication strategies – the compensatory strategies - as elements of an
overall strategic competence. Through compensatory strategies, learners are
provided the way for healing their fallback gaps in communication.
According

to

Brown

(2007:139),

compensatory

strategies

are

environmental modifications or behavioral strategies designed to bypass
persistent impairment in attention, memory, executive-function, and/or other
cognitive skills as a means to achieve desired rehabilitation goals. In second
language acquisition theories, compensatory strategies are composed by many
strategies impact the learning process of foreign language learners such as
circumlocution, approximation, word coinage, appel for help, code-switching and
many others. Among them, code-switching shows its importance in the second
languages acquisition in language learners‟ process.

According to Dornyei (1995, p.58), compensatory strategies are composed
of many strategies that impact the learning process of foreign language learners.
Below is the table on compensatory strategies outlined by Dornyei:
Compensatory strategies
1. Circumlocution-describing or exemplifying the target object or action (e.g.,
the thing you open bottles with for corkscrew).
2. Approximation-using an alternative term which expresses the meaning of the
target lexical item as closely as possible (e.g., ship for sail boat).
3. Use of all-purpose words-extending a general, empty lexical item to contexts
where specific words are lacking (e.g., the overuse of thing, stuff, make, do,
as well as using words like thingie, what-do-you-call-it).
4. Word-coinage: Creating a nonexisting L2 word based on a supposed rule
(e.g., vegetarianist for vegetarian).

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5. Prefabricated patterns: Using memorized stock phrases, usually for “survival”
purposes.
6. Use of nonlinguistic means-mime, gesture, facial expression, or sound
imitation.
7. Literal translation-translating literally a lexical item, an idiom, a compound
word or structure from L1 to L2.
8. Foreignizing-using a L1 word by adjusting it to L2 phonologically (i.e., with a
L2 pronunciation) and/or morphologically (e.g., adding to it a L2 suffix).
9. Code-switching-using a L1 word with L1 pronunciation or a L3 word
with L3 pronunciation in L2.
10. Appeal for help-turning to the conversation partner for help either directly
(e.g., What do you call . . . ?) or indirectly (e.g., rising intonation, pause, eye
contact, puzzled expression).

11. Stalling or Time-gaining Strategies: Use of fillers/hesitation devices-using
filling words or gambits to fill pauses and to gain time to think (e.g., well,
now let me see, as a matter of fact).
According to this table, in addition to many strategies impacting the second
language acquisition such as approximation, circumlocution, word coinage,
prefabricated patterns and so on, code-switching is explained as the use of a L1
word with L1 pronunciation or a L3 word with L3 pronunciation in L2. It is an
effective strategy that supports learners during the time they learn a foreign
language like English.
2.2.3. Code-switching in the relalionship with code-matching, borrowing, and
pidginization
Code-switching is a linguistic behaviour that arises as a result of
languages coming into contact. Other phenomena could obviously result from
native languages coming in contact with other ones are: code-mixing, borrowing,
pidginization and creolization.
2.2.3.1 Code-mixing
The similarity on code-switching and code-mixing is sometimes taken into
consideration. In some extent, code-switching is understood as code-mixing and

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