Code-Switching among Students - Essay Example

Switching It is very natural to have the desire of understanding someone else’ accent, that is per the recent statistic; notably, the Americans are leading in this activity. This study illustrates the American attitudes if wanting to know English-Arabic Code switching as perceived by several Arab Americans who are currently residing in the United States. Further, the study also portrays the findings to why Arab American usually code switch to Arabic, countering the idea of why Arab American speakers code-mix and code-switch to Arabic. Much to that, the study goes ahead to find out why most expressions and common terms dominate the conversation of Arab Americans in their Arabic language. Table of Contents Abstract 2 1. Introduction 4 2. Methodology 5 2.1 Participants 6 2.2 Instruments 7 2.2.1 Questionnaire 8 2.2.2 Interviews 8 2.2.3 Personal observation 8 3. Analysis 9 3.1 Demographic analysis 9 3.1.1 Gender 9 3.1.2 Academic level 10 3.1.3 Age 10 3.2 experience of learning English 11 3.2.1 The type of school they attended. 11 3.2.2 Period spend in UK 12 3.2.4 Code-switch is more in the UK than in Kuwait 14 3.3 The frequency of code-switch when discussing different topics 15 5. Discussion 20 Types of code switching 20 6. Conclusion 22 Bibliography 24 Appendix 27 1. Introduction Without doubt, the intertwining of the languages can be noted as a globalization issue, which has occurred in unprecedented way in the today’s highly communicative world. The standardization of the world has been brought forth due to the immense communication as well as escalating of the process of globalization (Rouchdy, 2004). It follows therefore that the increased spread of English language, the pace of globalization and the media progression has ease the potential of “code-switching” each day (MacSwan, 2010). On the other side, code switching is taken as a negative experience. As much as it is a frequent phenomenon in several parts of the globe, many assert that code switching is a sign of illiteracy or the lameness of having the ability to control two languages (Poplack, 1980). Among the Mexican-American the term “Tex-Max,” which can be noted as a derogative is used to indicate the mixing of the English and Spanish. In the same way the French –speaking but Canadian communities, the word joule is used to point out a speakers who posses poor language skills just to mention but a few (Nortier, 2008). There are several notion of pointing out fingers to some individuals who usually switch codes (Warner, 2007). At most, they find themselves being sidelined. However, the question is, what is the reason behind these increasing negative attitudes that faces those individual who switch codes? According to scholars, one of the major reasons behind this is the adherence to social norms that goes against the use of mixing codes in the scholarly scenario. One of the areas that code switching has been viewed as a negative phenomenon even by teachers is Hong Kong. In addition, students have joined the teachers in support of negativity on the code switching (Suleiman, 1974). This has instilled fear into many students during lesson, since the fear being punished, hence creating a participation gap when it comes on class work. This phenomenon according to research can be noted as prevalent in the bilingual countries as well as the countries where foreign immigrants have been prevailing. One of the real examples where such a phenomenon has been controlling most of the residents is the United States. According to research, this cou8ntry has witnessed an increasing pattern of Code switching. This is caused by the huge influx of immigrants who are systematically and continuously entering the country each year (Sridahar, 1978). Those who migrate in the United States at most usually establish their own communities, which they later exhibit patterns of language behaviors, which depicts a different and unique resemblance from that of the native English speakers. Just in the same way as other communities, some of the communities that are Arabic usually alternate between Arabic and English systematically. 2. Methodology The research design for this research used qualitative method of data collection; essentially, this will use questionnaires and interviews. This is critical in explaining the reasons for code switching as it provides factual, systematic, and accurate description of this research. Moreover, the use of interview in this research is essential since it will enable observation of codes used, as well as, the style of the speakers. This is difficult to achieve using questionnaire, which cannot collect such information. The population of this research comprised of Arab American speakers who are American residents. To some extent, the pollution is found to be unified by a common culture, language, as well as, tradition. There are nearly 3.5 million Arab Americans in the United States that is as per the statistics revealed by the Arabs American institution. To add on, it is also calculated that more than a half of the whole Arabs population lives in the large metropolitan area of the United States. 2.1 Participants To make these study complete, participants were chosen. The criterion used in selecting the participants was that the participants were chosen based on availability and convenience. A sample of 150m participants was collected. All the participants were mono-tribal and so they were the Arabs Americans from all corners of the American geography. The average age was 40, with a good knowledge of English language as either a first language or a second language. The interview took place in different geographical location, and some of the interviewees were born in the United States. However, the majority of the nationalities were the Palestinian, Iraqi, Jordan, Syrian, Yemeni, and Lebanese but they all spoke different dialects of Arabic. The main channel of interview was questionnaire, and the participants were collected from different parts of the USA. The demographic background comprised of the data such as level of education, gender, age, current occupation, their originality juts to mention but a few. The following table gives out a clear demographic characteristic. Nationality Number percentage Jordanian 30 20 Palestinian 12 8 Syrian 45 30 Iraqi 10 6.75 Lebanese 13 8.7 Yemeni 30 20 Algerian 10 6.75 Total number 150 100 Self-evaluation of the participants Number Questions excellent Very good Good Average poor 10 Describe your English proficiency 20 10 12 20 30 13 Describe your Arabic proficiency 18 5 8 12 20 2.2 Instruments Since the study involved human beings in a different geographical location, it was better to get and instrument of the study that could give out a clear illustration of the above reaction. Among the many available instruments of study, the following were more of appreciative than any other. Personal observation, this was a good tool because the accent can logical be observed. Questionnaires, this was also a good one since all that the participants required was to mark what they feel they are on a paper and so accuracy was achieved, bearing the fact that no name was written on the paper (Nguyen, 2009). Thirdly, interview was also another pertinent way since through interviews; conclusions can be done even if the person himself or herself has not literally made his or her conclusion on the matter. 2.2.1 Questionnaire This being the first instrument of the study, the researcher gave it a good model so that it can meet and be very effective in the study. There was a thorough piloting and pre-testing the questionnaires before the papers was distributed. This was so, in order to mete the desired goal of the study. The questionnaire was presented in English and on top of it a cover later that was speaking about the objectives of the sturdy. It was in English so that the participants may not get a rough time in trying to understand the question. 2.2.2 Interviews The interview, being the second tool of research was mainly used to encourage the participants to give in their all. It was noted that some participants were more than willing to provide not only full but also detailed information on interview that on the questionnaires. For such people, they were readily available for interview to the extent that they evaded the questionnaires. In most cases, during the study, it worth noting that the interviews were conducted both in informal and formal way. The interview was conducted to the extent of it being recorded, only with the participants who wished their interview be in a record. However, they were only ten out of the a hundred and fifty participants. 2.2.3 Personal observation Personal observation was the main tool that was used in collecting and gaining natural information. In linguistic programs, personal observation has been stipulated as the main method of data collection. Therefore, every exciting incident was cited and then immediate put in paper prior the listening to the interviews. All the above formed a very good extraction of data concerning the Arab Americans. Although there were several limitations, the truth is that the goal was achieved, since the participants showed a clear. 3. Analysis After data has been collected by the above-mentioned means, the data went on the next step, the step that ensured that a thorough checking was done to ensure that the data were raw and appropriate for analysis. 3.1 Demographic analysis 3.1.1 Gender The number of male respondents is more than of female respondents due to the imbalanced gender ratio in the composition of the population. 3.1.2 Academic level The majority of the respondents are postgraduate students; this shows that there is much interest of the respondents to attain higher ranks of education. 3.1.3 Age Majority of the respondent’s age is between 25-30 showing that they started their education at relatively the same age and they have been proceeding at the same speed. 3.2 experience of learning English How old were you when you first started learning English The above pie chart shows that 50 per cent of the learners started English classes while they were between 10 and 13 years old, there was 10 per cent of those with less than four years, another 10 per cent for those between age of 4 and 6 years old while the students with the age of 10 to 13 years that started learning English were 30%. 3.2.1 The type of school they attended. The question for the respondents was; What type of Kuwaiti school did you learn English? The response of the survey are in the column graph below. The graph above shows that most of the respondents went to government school with 80 per cent while 10 per cent of the respondents went to bilingual school with a similar percent going to British/American schools. This means that fewer respondents learned English in Bilingual and British/American schools. This may be attributed to the fact that these types of schools are few in Kuwaiti compared to government schools. 3.2.2 Period spend in UK This question wanted to find out the duration that the respondent has been in UK. The figure below shows the response of the respondents. Based on the response above, most of the respodents had stayed in UK for 2 to 4 years with a 30 per cent representation. There was 25 per cent of the respodents who said that they had only stayed for less than a year in UK wile 20 per cent for 1 to 2 years, 15 percent for 4 to 6 years while only 10 per cent ave stayed in UK for more than 6 years. 3.2.4 Code-switch is more in the UK than in Kuwait The above pie chart present the results of the respodents on the issue of code-switch between UK and Kuwait based on their expereince and what they feel. There were more than half of the respodents who said there is a difference with 60 per cent. They felt like they code-switch is more in the UK comapred to Kuwait. 30 per cent said not while 10 per cent said they do not know. 3.3 The frequency of code-switch when discussing different topics Politics is the topic that is encounter code switching probably because it is the most familiar topic in Kuwait. 3.4 Reasons for code-switching from Arabic to English When speaking Arabic, I use English when… Majority strongly agree of switching to English when speaking Arabic and talking about technical terms since the technical terms are taught and read in English. When speaking Arabic, I use English when… When speaking Arabic, I use English when… When speaking Arabic, I use English because… The data indicated clearly, why the Arabic Americans usually code switch with Americans. It was tabulated that, 13.9 percent of the Arab Americans illustrated that they usually code switch with English always. While 41 percent said they sometimes code switch with English, 12.1 said they never code switch with English while thirty-three of them said that they never code switch with English. 5. Discussion According to the above information, it is sure to affirm that as much as the study included certain single type of people, that is the Arabs Americans, the rate by which the people used to switch code with American English was varied (Ludmila, 2009). There are those who said they usually code switch, while other never did the code switching and lastly there are those who sometimes did the code switching. Looking unto it literally, then it means that there are certain factors that usually lead to code switching. Some of the factors were the social norms (Gumperz, 1998). The environment they were brought in portray a difference, Among the many who said they never code switch, these individuals resided and born in the United States (Ludmila, 2009). The environment of being a way from their mother’s homeland made them adapt another culture, hence changing how they talked. Another thing was that most of those who undertook interview were learned and they are the ones who said they sometimes code switch (Cantone, 2007). Education also is another factor that can make some one to code switch. Those people grew in the Arabic countries and learnt there, code switched although not frequently (Holes, 2009). However, those who grew in the United States and learned their, also found themselves code switching but on a very minimal occurrences. The following are some of the types of code switching that this research discovered. Types of code switching Intersentential code switching In simpler terms, is a part that brings about a sole clarification in a given conversation or dialogue. In this case, intersentential code switching is experienced immediately at the beginning of the dialogue. On the other hand, the conversation that follows takes another new dimension of communication (Duszak , 2002). This happens when the first conversation is translated in another language. Just to emphasize more on this, the difference occurs only in the spellings of the words but the meaning remains the same (Holes, 2009). However, in most cases, most individuals usually find it difficult to understand the distinctions between the two. For this to be understood, it calls for attention between the two parties taking in the conversation. Intrasentential code switching By following the difference between ‘inter’ and ‘intra’, this type of code switching occurs in the middle of a given sentence in a given conversation or a dialogue. However, this means that in the first the difference mainly occurs at the beginning. This clarification is pertinent because it enables one, to understand which type of code switching is being used in a given conversation that is taking place (Belazi, 2009). Even though there seems to be no clear clarification to emphasize this, an individual gets a difference after the fist type of code switching is understood. To sum up on this, it is better for people of different races to keep code switching in their minds in order for them to understand what being conversed in another different dimension. In relation to the above classes of code switching, there also exist two other types of code switching. Even though they do not carry much weight as compared to the ones discussed in detail above, but it is pertinent for one to know more about them. The reason as to why they should be known is that that might apply in a situation where, Intersentential code switching and intra-sentential code switching do not suit. In addition, due to the emerging daily issues, the environment keeps on changing every now and then making people all over the globe to embrace new things. Therefore, it is pertinent to have a view at them in order to understand of their views on code switching. Tag code switching As mentioned above, tag code switching is another type of code switching that aids the use of the first two types of code switching. This means a bit of relationship exists between them. This is therefore a condition where some words are included in the words that are conversed in a given conversation (Abdel-Jawad, 2001). Looking at this definition, the obvious conclusion is that tag code switching plays a primary role in the midlist of the first two types of code switching. However, for one to make good use of them should have a general clue of them all. In relation to this, this type of code switching cannot operate on its own. It is therefore important to have a look at the last one and know how relevant it is. Intra-word code switching This type of code switching comes about the boundary of a given word. Emphasizing more on this, a hyphen has to be used in order to bring about the separation, even though it may not be realized through utterance but through written form. In conclusion, all this types of code switching need to be embraced all (Bassiouney, 2009). 6. Conclusion It is true as per the study that some individual usually code switch. Currently, many people take code switching as a sense of primitiveness, which is not true. Several factors lead someone to code switch. As per the above research, it is noted that those who were born in the U.S managed to escape the line of code switching, however those who were raised and born in their motherland, faced this challenge. This is clear evidence that at most, the environment that people are living in, will always dictate them in being in a certain situation. No matter the level of education, social norm will always have a bigger portion in dictating where someone should be. Otherwise, it is necessary that any person who has been brought up in a certain environment, he or she will behave in a manner. Notably, this suggests that he either comes from a certain environment or he knows a certain thing, and he does not know the other because where he comes from is connected to certain things and not the others. Bibliography Abdel-Jawad, H. R. (2001). Lexical and phonological variation in spoken Arabic in Amman. U. Philadelphia, PA.: niversity of Pennsylvania . Bader, y. (1998). Lexical Codeswitching in the speech of non-Arabic English Bilingual Child”. Interface , 28-40. Barhoum, K. (2009). “Code- switching among Arab Americans as a form of bilingual discourse.”Paper presented at the 23rd annual meeting of the Middle East Studies Associations of North America. Toronto. Bassiouney, R. (2009). Arabic Sociolinguistics. Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press. Bassiouney, R. (2006 ). Functions of Code Switching in Egypt: Evidence from Monologues. London: BRILL. 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New York: Psychology Press. Sridahar, Shikaripur N. (1978). On the functions of code-switching in Canada." Aspects of socio-linguistics in south Asia ed. By Barj B. Kachru & Shikaripur N. Sridhar. 109-117 Warner, E,( 2007), A Black Classroom Culture: Student Code-switching in an Inner City Secondary School. ProQuest.3rd Ed. New York Appendix How often do you think you use English when speaking Arabic? The majority of the respondents never use English when talking to their grandparents since they are aware that the grandparents do not understand English. Read More