Code switching is known as the practise of alternating more than one language in communication at one time. Code switching occurs among individuals who are bilingual or multilingual and it happens more often during a spoken conversation than in writing (Nordquist, 2019). There are numerous reasons why code switching occurs within the bilingual and multilingual communities which are not merely an account of casualty but also due to other unconscious factors that must be applied to make it understandable. At times, this can also happen by accident or on purpose. In this article, there will be four reasons discussed to why code switching might happen.
First of all, code switching occurs naturally in a social setting. In Malaysia, the majority of us are bilingual and speak a combination of Malay and English and that has created a new spoken variety known as “Manglish”. When conversing with an individual who speaks both the same language, we subconsciously use “Manglish” to either form a phrase and sentence or even just by inputting a particular vocabulary in a different language while communicating. For example, “Let’s go makan!” This sentence is literally translated to “let’s eat” and is commonly used every day to invite co-workers or friends to grab lunch/dinner. With that, the word “makan” is derived from the Malay language and is used very naturally in an example of a “Manglish” sentence. At times, the individuals who use code switching may not even realise that they are exchanging these vocabulary, verbs, or pronouns from one language to another (Staff, 2022).
Next, code switching occurs among bilinguals or multilinguals due to the effortless manner of identifying the right words. For example, second language learners would commonly code switch to their mother tongue in order to converse a certain phrase or vocabulary in which they aren’t able to in another language because they have a greater vocabulary in their primary language. In particularly, if a Malay speaker starts to learn English, they might find some struggles in identifying or using certain vocabularies in a sentence to communicate and express what they mean fluently in English. Therefore, this scenario would indicate them speaking in English first and then drifting back to speaking in Malay to express a particular thought or idea.
Moving on, code switching also occurs when we intend to say something in secret or to allow privacy. Speaking in a language in which others do not understand can mask what we’re saying. For example, when a Malaysian family travels to the United Kingdom and goes shopping, they tend to convert the currency of the items they intend to buy. When some things are extremely expensive, they are able to speak in the Malay language to tell the other members of the family that this particular store or item costs too much and that they shouldn’t purchase anything there. By switching to the Malay language around those who speak English, they keep others unaware of what they want to discuss or say (Thompson, 2013). Another example would be when we are among foreign language speakers and there is something we want to say in private, we would commonly code switch to a language they don’t understand to converse in that particular situation.
Lastly, there are times when code switching happens in order to increase solidarity or to fit in a community. We use code switching to increase the bond among other individuals within the same community by interacting in whichever manner or way seems most fitting and by allowing the interaction of another speaker to converse at ease in a language they speak best in. For example, Malaysia is home to many different linguistic varieties and dialects. Different states in Malaysia converse differently based on slang, language variety and dialects in which residents or visitors are able to code switch depending on where they are to allow themselves to express themselves (Staff, 2022). For instance, Malaysian Chinese individuals who communicate in Mandarin also converse in a dialect called “Hokkien” when they visit Penang. This is because most residents in Penang converse in the “Hokkien” dialect and they use it to fit into the community.
To conclude, the above are some of the many reasons why code switching occurs in the community of bilinguals or multilinguals and is a natural phenomenon. It can be said that no matter what race, ethnicity, class, or cultural background we are, we all do it.
These characteristics are incorporated and learned as a subject to provide in depth insights and understanding of sociolinguistics in the program of Diploma in Teaching English as a Second Language offered by the Centre for Education & Language, MAHSA University. Therefore, if you find reading this article interesting, you will find that there are more to discover by enrolling to this program.
Words by:
Jasmine Ratchanee Lazarus
Centre for Education & Language
MAHSA University