Why do bilinguals ‘switch’ languages?
- It is common for bilingual speakers to switch between languages. This is known as ‘code switching’ or ‘code mixing’.
- Many monolingual speakers think code switching is a problem, highlighting a lack of mastery of the languages spoken.
- It is true that when someone is learning a new language, they may substitute words from their first language to make up for what they don’t yet know. This is a natural part of language learning.
- Code switching is also used by bilinguals for many other purposes, and is a highly sophisticated language tool.
‘Switching’ languages
As we saw in the inquiry What is bilingualism? , when people know two or more languages they commonly switch between the languages according to: the context or language domain (for example, family, religion, education, employment); the person they are speaking with; the topic; and other factors, such as the formality of the situation. Bilingual Pasifika speakers provide some examples of this process in the video clip Language domains .
It’s also common for bilinguals to switch between languages in a single sentence or conversation – this is termed code switching (or code mixing ). Monolingual speakers who are unfamiliar with this practice often view code switching as a problem. They take it to be a sign of linguistic deficit, language interference , or lack of mastery of both languages.
It’s true that when somebody is learning another language, they may use code switching to compensate for a lack of knowledge in that language. This is a natural part of language learning, particularly in the early stages, and so plays an important role in language development. However, bilinguals use code switching for a wide range of other purposes as well. These include:
- emphasising or clarifying a particular point
- reinforcing a request
- substituting a word
- expressing a concept that does not have a direct equivalent in the other language.
These examples of code switching using Sāmoan and English illustrate the various purposes described above:
- Emphasising or clarifying a point: “Don’t do that, tamaitiiti ulavale.” [naughty child]
- Reinforcing a request: “Please sit down everyone; nofo i lalo fa‘amolemole.”
- Substituting a more familiar word: “Suga, let’s go to the fale‘oloa and get some lole.” “Oka, ese lou bossy!” [“Hey you (to a female), let’s go to the shop and get some lollies.” “Man, you’re so bossy!”]
- Expressing a concept with no direct equivalent: “O a mai oe? How are you?” “O lea tata le vae matua!” [Literally, “The big toe is tapping!” – indicating that one is very well.]
Code switching can also be used for wider sociolinguistic reasons: to indicate solidarity with another speaker; for humour; to signal a change of attitude or relationship; or to include or exclude someone from the conversation. (See Baker, 2006, pages 109–113 and Holmes, 2001 for further discussion.)
Changing languages according to the context often gives bilingual speakers:
- a heightened awareness of language appropriateness (what languages are appropriate in what context, and with what speaker)
- a greater communicative sensitivity, both in relation to the wider features of the language context and the communicative needs of those with whom they are speaking.
Research shows that this heightened awareness of language appropriateness and communicative sensitivity is evident among bilingual children as young as two years old (Baker and Prys Jones, 1998). These features are discussed further in Is bilingualism an advantage? .
In short, code switching is a highly sophisticated linguistic tool and one that almost all bilingual people use instinctively. There is nearly always a reason for code switching – bilingual speakers use their languages to make sophisticated and subtle distinctions in their messages.
