Reasons for code-switching

Introduction
The act of talking and articulating words clearly, at least in two unique dialects s, within a
similar discussion among the marginalized group is known as code-switching. The US gives a
rich environment for the review and practice of code-exchanging because of the country's
multilingual populace (Astuti, 2020). Code-switching has many different causes, and many
different contextual factors influence it. The rationale for code-switching and its practical
applications will be discussed in this essay.
Any conversation involves various social and cultural elements, which are frequently
reflected in the code-switching that takes place during it. According to the Code-Switch podcast,
code-switching can signal one's place in a group, express one's identity, assert one's power,
express intimacy, and put others at ease (Muthusamy & Farashaiyan, 2020). These
considerations also illustrate how the context and the speaker's intentions shape language use.
However, my goal in conducting these interviews was to gain a deeper understanding of the
motivations behind code-switching by hearing from individuals from various cultural
backgrounds.
My first interviewee was an American of African descent who was also fluent in
Afrikaans. She said she frequently uses code-switching when talking to her Afrikaans-speaking
parents and relatives (Muthusamy & Farashaiyan, 2020). She can communicate more fluently
and confidently with her bilingual friends when she switches between the two languages. My
second interviewee was a Japanese trilingual in English, Spanish, and Japanese (Muthusamy &
Farashaiyan, 2020). It made sense that while she involves both English and Japanese in
discussions with her folks, she likes communicating in English with her school companions.

3
Also, she shows her affinity for the Latin people group by code-exchanging between English and
Spanish while associating with her Latin neighbors.
Several of the podcast's discussed justifications for code-switching can be seen in these
instances. Code-switching to Spanish helps the Mexican-American woman meet the linguistic
needs of her family members and allows her to demonstrate her bilingualism. The Korean
American woman's code-switching between languages expresses her need to affirm her place in
multiple cultural communities (Haryanto & Mahendra, 2021). Because speakers consciously
choose their language based on their objectives and the social context in which they
communicate, code-switching happens in both scenarios.
In conclusion, code-switching is a complex phenomenon that highlights the rich linguistic
diversity of the US. Code-switching occurs for various reasons, including the social setting, the
speaker's intentions, and the cultural dynamics at play. The linguistic richness and complexity of
the various communities that make up our society can be better appreciated if the reasons for
code-switching are clarified.

4

References

Astuti, C. W. (2020). Language awareness: Language use and reasons for code-switching. LLT
Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Teaching, 23(1), 116-130.
Muthusamy, P., Muniandy, R., Kandasam, S. S., Hussin, O. H., Subramaniam, M., &
Farashaiyan, A. (2020). Factors of Code-Switching among Bilingual International
Students in Malaysia. International Journal of Higher Education, 9(4), 332-338.
Haryanto, S., & Mahendra, A. (2021, September). Types And Reasons for Using Code Switching
In Instagram. In Proceeding of The Progressive and Fun Education International
Conference (Vol. 3, pp. 83-88).