Codeswitching processes and practices in the non-immersion language classroom

Research interest in code-switching began in the 1970s and 1980s (Blom & Gumperz, 1972; Gumperz, 1982; Poplack, 1980), and for many theorists, it was closely connected to the emerging interest in sociolinguistics and the study of language as naturally occurring in context. Speakers of more than one code often switch between their available languages, dialects, accents or registers when in conversation with others who also speak these codes. This bilingual behaviour is at odds with the traditional view of the monolingual language classroom where standard language is taught and students’ L1 is discouraged or even prohibited in favour of target language use. The processes involved in the mixing of languages in this way have been documented (Carol Myers-Scotton, 1993) and the practices that speakers engage in when choosing a particular code have been described (Gardner-Chloros, 2009). In this paper, I consider teachers’ switching between target language and the learners’ L1 in a non-immersion setting. It can be said that code-switching is representative of normal bilingual behaviour and should therefore not be excluded from classroom talk (Levine, 2011). Using data from post-primary German language classrooms in Ireland, I consider how the processes of code-switching are expressed in classroom discourse, particularly focusing on teacher talk. I consider the social and institutional influences on a teacher’s choice of code, and compare these with code-switching practices in the wider language community. On this basis, I propose that teachers’ code-switching cannot be seen as an ‘authentic’ representation of ‘normal’ bilingual behaviour because of the nature of the classroom setting. I argue, however, that code-switching can have a positive influence on classroom discourse and potentially on learning, and should, therefore, be included in discussions of teacher language use.