A Perspective Of Code Switching In Esl Learners In Pakistan

Abstract

This study investigated and compared code switching practices in Pakistan. The objectives of this study were to study the phenomenon of code switching practices in English language classrooms at secondary level. Moreover, this study explored the reasons of code switching during English language class. With this purpose, the researchers personally visited the public and private secondary schools of Lahore in Pakistan and collected the data. Data were collected by means of classroom observations and interviews. Myers’ Markedness Model (1993) was specifically applied by the researchers for this study. The findings of the study revealed that teachers mostly switched code for clarification, for affirmation, for grammatical purposes, for making lesson easier for students, for creating humor, for scolding students and for making good social relationships with students etc. The students switched code for socializing themselves, due to inefficiency on the target language, for their easiness, for better comprehension, for learning difficult and new words etc. This study has wider scope and it can be studied in different perspectives in any bilingual or multilingual society.