Advantages and disadvantages of using code switching in spoken language from the perception of english majored students and lecturers at an giang university

1 AN GIANG UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES NGUYỄN NHẬT THẢO VY DTA151115 DH16TA UNDERGRADUATE THESIS ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF USING CODE-SWITCHING IN SPOKEN LANGUAGE FROM

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AN GIANG UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

NGUYỄN NHẬT THẢO VY

DTA151115 DH16TA UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF USING CODE-SWITCHING IN SPOKEN LANGUAGE FROM THE PERCEPTION OF ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS

AND LECTURERS AT AN GIANG UNIVERSITY

SUPERVISOR: NGUYỄN THỊ THU DUNG, MA

AN GIANG, MAY 2 1

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AN GIANG UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

NGUYỄN NHẬT THẢO VY

DTA151115 DH16TA UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF USING CODE-SWITCHING IN SPOKEN LANGUAGE FROM THE PERCEPTION OF ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS

AND LECTURERS AT AN GIANG UNIVERSITY

SUPERVISOR: NGUYỄN THỊ THU DUNG, MA

AN GIANG, MAY 2019

An Giang, May 2019

NGUYỄN NHẬT THẢO VY

First and foremost, I would like to send my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Mrs Nguyễn Thị Thu Dung, MA, the Lecturer of Faculty of Foreign Languages of

An Giang University, who supported and guided me in the process of making this thesis Although she busied herself working, she still tried to arrange time to help

me rectify my paper and patiently gives me useful advice I honestly appreciate her excellent insights and her fervour in instructing me to complete the research Secondly, I would like to thank the English-majored students and lecturers in Faculty of Foreign Languages of An Giang University for their cooperation and willingness during the performance of my study, the process of collecting the data

of questionnaires as well as interviews that helped me fulfill this thesis

Last but not least, I would like to spend my special thanks to my family and close friends who have always encouraged me during the process of my study Without their contributions, my thesis could not have been done

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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DECLARATION i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iii

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES vi

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vii

ABSTRACT viii

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Rationale of the research 1

1.2 Research aims and research questions 3

1.2.1 Research aims 3

1.2.2 Research questions 3

1.3 Scope of the research 3

1.4 Significance of the research 4

1.5 Limitations of the research 4

1.6 Organisation of the research 5

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 6

2.1 Code-switching 6

2.1.1 Brief review of the definitions of Code-switching 6

2.1.2 Classification 7

2.1.2.1 Inter-sentential 7

2.1.2.2 Tag-switching 7

2.1.2.3 Intra-sentential 8

2.2 Code-switching and Bilingual 8

2.2.1 Definitions of Bilingual 8

2.2.2 Code-Switching and Bilingual 8

2.3 The roles of using Code-switching 10

2.4 Advantages of using Code-switching 11

2.5 Disadvantages of using Code-switching 13

2.6 Summary of literature review and justification of the study 15

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 16

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3.1 Research design 16

3.2 Participants 17

3.3 Research instruments 17

3.3.1 Questionnaire 17

3.3.1.1 Closed-ended questions 18

3.3.1.2 Rating scales 19

3.3.2 Interview 20

3.4 Data collection procedures 20

3.4.1 Administering the questionnaires 20

3.4.2 Administering the interviews 21

3.5 Data analysis procedures 21

3.5.1 Analysis of the questionnaires 21

3.5.2 Analysis of the interviews 22

CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS 23

4.1 Data collected from the questionnaires of English-majored students at An Giang University 23

4.1.1 Closed-ended questions 23

4.1.2 Rating scales 34

4.1.2.1 The reasons of using Code-switching 35

4.1.2.2 The advantages of using Code-switching 36

4.1.2.3 The disadvantages of using Code-switching 38

4.2 Interviews with English-majored lecturers at An Giang University 39

4.2.1 The perceptions of Code-switching of English-majored lecturers at An Giang University 39

4.2.2 The observations and personal states of using Code-switching of English-majored lecturers at An Giang University 41

4.2.3 The evaluations as well as suggestions of English-majored lecturers at An Giang University on the advantages and disadvantages of using Code-switching in society 43

CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS 48

5.1 Summary of the findings 48

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5.1.1 The advantages of using Code-switching in spoken language from the perception of English-majored students and lecturers at An Giang

University 48

5.1.2 The disadvantages of using Code-switching in spoken language from the perception of English-majored students and lecturers at An Giang University 50

5.2 Implications 51

5.3 Recommendations for further studies 53

5.4 Conclusions 53

REFERENCES 55

APPENDIX 1 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS 60

PHỤ LỤC 1 PHIẾU KHẢO SÁT DÀNH CHO SINH VIÊN CHUYÊN NGÀNH TIẾNG ANH 67

APPENDIX 2 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (FOR LECTURERS) 74

PHỤ LỤC 2 CÂU HỎI PHỎNG VẤN (DÀNH CHO GIẢNG VIÊN) 76

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LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES



Figure 1 The personal status of using both English and Vietnamese in the same

conversation 24

Figure 2 The set level of using Code-switching 25

Figure 3 The attitudes towards others' use of Code-switching 26

Figure 4 Advantages of using Code-switching 27

Figure 5 Disadvantages of using Code-switching 29

Figure 6 Students' attitudes towards lecturers' use of Code-switching 30

Figure 7 Situations for using CS effectively 31

Figure 8 Is Code-switching a development or a backward step of language? 32

Figure 9 Promoting the development of language through CS 33

Figure 10 Solutions to the backward step of Code-switching 34

Table 1 Sources of the referred and adapted questions of the closed-ended statements section 19

Table 2 Sources of the referred and adapted questions of the rating scales section 19

Table 3 Summary of items for each category in the questionnaire 20

Table 4 Reliability Statistics of the second section of the questionnaire 35

Table 5 Descriptive Statistics of Total Mean Scores of the reasons of using Code-switching 35

Table 6 Descriptive Statistics of Total Mean Scores of the advantages of using Code-switching 36

Table 7 Item-Total Statistics of the advantages of using Code-switching 37

Table 8 Descriptive Statistics of Total Mean Scores of the disadvantages of using Code-switching 38

Table 9 Item-Total Statistics of the disadvantages of using Code-switching 39

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ABSTRACT

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Code-switching which can be understood as the common linguistic

phenomenon in the society means the combination or the alternately switch among multiple languages in the communication process of language users The aim of this study is to investigate overall standpoints from the perception of English-majored students and lecturers at An Giang University about the advantages and disadvantages of using Code-switching in spoken language The findings of the study indicate that Code-switching actually includes both positive and negative impacts which come from many aspects In conclusion, in order to make good the shortcomings of Code-switching use for people in general and those who are learning as well as working in English Major at AGU in particular for applying the means to the communities more effectively, language users should consider using Code-switching only with people who have the same level of languages with them and those who totally agree to use it during communication Besides, although it is helpful in teaching, lecturers should only use it at a limited rate if possible in order

to avoid the negative effects on the language ability of students

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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter is divided into six sections: (1) The rationale of the research, (2) The research aims and the research questions, (3) The scope of the research, (4) Significance of the research, (5) The limitations of the research, as well as (6) Organisation of the research

1.1 Rationale of the research

Each individual has their own way of expressing language in communication which suits them the most to convey thoughts, feelings, views as well as exchange information; for example, you only speak in your native language, or frequently use other kinds of second languages that you know, or switch simultaneously between these codes Today, along with the more rapid as well as modern

development of society, the state of using Code-switching in communities is also becoming more widespread For that reason, many people, including American scholars, have recognised this spectacular language interference as “a phenomenon

of globalisation” In the point of fact, for years, this phenomenon has been very popular in prosperous countries that have many immigrants or other former

colonial areas; however, in developing countries like Vietnam, this is also not an exception In savoir vivre stories, in intimate communication, on the Internet or even in a variety of other media in Vietnam, the transition between Vietnamese and English is considered an unavoidable process These days, using English alternately in typical Vietnamese forms of speaking has been becoming a trend of any Vietnamese in general and many young people in particular Simply, the vast majority of people suppose that it is a practical action expressing integration into a

larger civilisation

What we can understand about Code-switching is that it probably happens in face-to-face communication and in bilingual communities as well Also, CS is observed that it can be used at a variety of levels and environments, including common contexts with family and friends, or even more professionally used

between teachers and students as well as with superiors at work According to Freeman & Freeman (2001) is the need to integrate into a cohesive in one piece that arises from two independent trends known as “the school world” of English

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and “the home world” of the native one Anyone in society can code switch

depending on levels of languages that each individual has a thorough grasp of The language skills of bilingual community have been applied to society by using Code-switching as a way of making communication more effective and

meaningful While others condemn this method of using languages as

miscellaneous and chaotic intelligence, Blom and Gumperz (1972) are pioneers of the modern standpoints of CS They persuade those who care about it to accept this

as a sign of language proficiency rather than a lack of language ability in

discourse However, the way we use language obviously has an influence on our self-cultural cachet as well as the impact on our identity in social groups

It is undeniable that two different ideas of evaluation about the phenomenon named Code-switching still have been existing in society, and naturally there are contrary reactions for each individual object Hughes, Shaunessy, Brice, Ratliff, & McHatton (2006) observe a part of bilingual middle school students who come from the majority culture, seeing that most of them switch codes as a tool of

identification among members of their peer groups They confirm CS gives them the flexibility to respond depending on the circumstances when they can alter their primary language according to the object they are interacting with In contrast, although teachers themselves regularly use Code-switching, they have shown a rather negative reaction to the phenomenon Hughes, Shaunessy, Brice, Ratliff, & McHatton (2006) cite some of these typifications from Phillips' (1975) study Accordingly, they states, “70% of teacher code switching from English to Spanish

is for "disciplinary-manipulative" purposes and serves to reinforce the dominant language and to marginalize the native language of the students Teachers

emphasize the use of traditional spoken English and marginalize the efforts of students to use alternative forms of language” Due to those contrary conceptions, this current study seeks to understand the true notions of bilingual students and teachers who have a solid foundation and are fluent in both languages in order to draw upon the advantages and disadvantages of using Code-switching in society

bilinguals and language researchers about the influences of using CS on

communication Particularly, Code-switching has a great contribution of cultural factor since it is said to be a combination of two or more separated cultures when speakers apply multiple languages at the same time Hughes, Shaunessy, Brice, Ratliff, & McHatton (2006) quote Ford & Harris (1990) and Gonzalez (1974) that cultural differences, fundamental knowledge and English competency may be the key elements that negatively affect language ability of those who know more than one language Meanwhile, Dobovsek-Sethna (1996) notes that CS shows its

important role in helping speakers revealing their own bilingual and bicultural identity Because of the contradiction, this paper seeks to address whether in the dawn of language development, the evaluation on Code-switching of English-majored students and teachers in Vietnam, particularly in An Giang University, is

in a positive or opposite direction Based on these findings, the paper will help Vietnamese, bilingual students as well as lecturers in An Giang University have a better understanding of the meaning of CS use in society, which helps them have a more suitable choice for using languages in communication

1.2.2 Research questions

This particular study is being conducted so as to clarify the answers to the following research questions:

(1) What are the advantages of using Code-switching in spoken language from

the perception of English-majored students and lecturers at An Giang University?

(2) What are the disadvantages of using Code-switching in spoken language from the perception of English-majored students and lecturers at An Giang

University?

1.3 Scope of the research

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This study did not deeply explore into all angles of the big theme called switching, it just centrally developed the two small aspects which were the

Code-advantages and the disCode-advantages of using Code-switching in spoken languages

The object groups of the study were formed with a certain number of students from four English-majored classes and lecturers teaching English from Faculty of Foreign Languages at An Giang University

1.4 Significance of the research

This study desires to create a chance for language learners and teachers to reconsider their own language using style in communication and have a new look

at Code-switching In essence, each individual has their own favour and habit of using languages in the most convenient way, which can be assessed as a language aptitude or social communication skills Also, this paper is oriented to examine the thoughts of English-majored students and teachers who have wide and deep

knowledge about language Through this, their honest attitude can be seen under their perspective, about a popular social phenomenon related to their specialty Besides, CS is also evaluated more accurately as to whether it is a development step or a backward step of language

1.5 Limitations of the research

As other researches, although the study has somewhat clarified the matters and reached the purposes set, there were a few restrictions that were inevitable

Firstly, due to the time constraints, the research was only completed with a small dimension of participants (only 96 students and 3 lecturers) which have partly influenced the generalisation of this research

Secondly, the researcher was just able to focus on English-majored students and lecturers at An Giang University, which did not cover the whole other kinds of participants working in every area Otherwise, the study could not expand with English-majored students of every educational level with variety of English

proficiency degrees, which made the results of the study less diverse Moreover, the number of lecturers attending the research interviews was small since it was hard to have suitable time for both of the researcher and lecturers to meet and carry out the interviews

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Next, the paper was only learned in the scope of two languages: English and Vietnamese In fact, as the research environment was limited in the popularity of the various languages used, the study just focused on these two languages

Finally, if there was enough time and conditions allowed, the study could have been conducted with more instruments such as observations or tests in order to make it more various and reliable

1.6 Organisation of the research

The research consists of five chapters:

Chapter 1 – Introduction, introduces rationale of the research, research aims,

research questions, significance of the research, and organisation of the research

Chapter 2 – Literature Review, presents the theoretical background of the

studies related to using Code-switching in society This chapter also has a part of showing the correlation between Code-switching and bilingual in order to make clear for the main points about Code-switching

Chapter 3 – Research Methodology, describes the research design, participants,

research instruments, data collection and data analysis procedures for the research

Chapter 4 – Findings and discussions, provides results of the collected data,

and analysis the evaluation in advantages and disadvantages aspects of switching use from the perception of English-majored students and lecturers at An Giang University

Code-Chapter 5 – Conclusions, briefly supplies the summary of collected data

showing in chapter 4 along with some implications, recommendations for further research, and eventually ends with the overall conclusions of the entire research

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CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter lays the foundations of theoretical framework for the study The first section (1) introduces the definition and classification of Code-switching, which aims to give people a general overview and a unified sense of this term The second part (2) focuses on the relation between Code-switching and Bilingual The next (3) examines the reasons of using Code-switching The forth (4) and fifth (5) sections talk about the advantages and disadvantages of using Code-switching in

today's life, which are the two main issues of the study The chapter ends with a

summary of literature review and justification of the study

2.1 Code-switching

2.1.1 Brief review of the definitions of Code-switching

So far, Code-switching has been studied from a variety of aspects and views such as social orientation, second language acquisition (SLA), cultural basis or even psychological education, but from a sociolinguistic perspective where

language is assessed to be broader; it is considered to be a social phenomenon that may occur whenever two or more languages are used in the same community where people communicate in spoken language

A series of Code-switching definitions have been developed based on a basic understanding of it, and most researchers have a general perception that Code-switching is the use of multiple languages in a communicating process As cited in

Code-switching: Definition, Types and Examples by Esen (2014) followed the

definition of Romaine (1992) about Code-switching, said that it is “the use of more than one language, variety, or style by a speaker within an utterance or discourse,

or between different interlocutors or situations” Accordingly, it is possible to understand that Code-switching is a blend of two or more languages but it still ensures context and content in discourse (Abdullah & Buriro, 2011) Code-

switching is also defined by Myers-Scotton (1993a) as “the use of two or more languages in the same conversation, usually within the same conversational turn,

or within the same sentence of that turn” It can be seen that most of researchers agree the same idea that Code-switching is the specific action of substituting or combining two or more languages while speaking

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In addition to the above consensus, there are several other researchers as well

as scholars who set different definitions of Code-switching Gumperz (1982) and Bokamba (1988) share the same notion of Code-switching that it is the

juxtaposition of two distinct grammatical systems or subsystems through sentence boundaries within the same speech situation On the other hand, Parama, Kreiner, Stark, & Schuetz (2017) also cite Duran (1994) in terms of monolingual speakers, stating that these individuals consider the phenomenon to be an unusual form of communication since this trend is not familiar to them

As far as the researcher is concerned, although scholars have given many different viewpoints of “Code-switching” following the light of sociolinguistic perspective, the term “Code-switching” is still understood in the most fundamental and traditional way More specifically, Code-switching refers to a alteration during conversation from one language in one statement to another language in another,

or parts of one statement in one language to parts of it in another language

Accordingly, in this paper, Code-switching is only explored in terms of the most popular aspect in language as well as in society as the initial step instead of

digging into more complex special concepts

2.1.2 Classification

A number of researchers, linguists as well as scholars have attempted to

classify Code-switching in a logical framework in order to partly better highlight its nature and concepts Basically, from the viewpoints of Poplack (1980),

Romaine (1989) and Muysken (1997) which are recognised and supported by most

of other researchers, their well-known framework indicates three major patterns of Code-switching: inter-sentential, tag-switching and intra-sentential

2.1.2.1 Inter-sentential

Niemahamad & Ammar (2016) explain the theoretical point from MacSwan (1999) that inter-sentential Code-switching happens within the same sentence or alternates between speaker turns, so it requires fluency in both languages so that the speaker can follow the rules of the two languages

2.1.2.2 Tag-switching

According to Romaine (1989), another type of Code-switching is tag-switching that involves the inclusion of tag words or short phrases Some examples for usual

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Englishtags such as “you know”, “I mean”, “right?” etc which are often seen in a

conversation are mostly in another language

functions: what a language is used for, with whom, where; thus they do not

necessarily have to develop a perfect knowledge, nor the same level of competence

or performance in both languages” Simultaneously, they cite another judgment from Bloomfield (1933) that it is “native-like control of two languages” In

essence, researchers in linguistics area have a broad overview of this term that has led to simplified concepts Grosjean (1989) supposes bilingual to be the ability to speak as well as grasp two languages concurrently with monolingual ability in a language; in other words, it is the competence of using communicating tool in both first language (L1) and second language (L2) Fabbro (1999) provides a more specific definition, stating that bilingualism is a proficiency that includes the ability to understand and speak two languages, two dialects, or a language and a dialect, while Romaine (1995) expresses “translation” to a new language is an apposite expounded way for bilingualism This present study only figures out the most basic notions of bilingual in order to contribute to the angles of differences compare to Code-switching, thereby indicating the complementary aspects among the two terms as well as augmenting the rationality in mentioning the role of CS

2.2.2 Code-Switching and Bilingual

It is not very difficult in identifying the interconnections and mutual

compatibility of these two schools, Code-switching and Bilingual, in the academic world based on the sociological root that linguists have attempted to understand While Kamwangamalu (1989) considers the imposition of both phenomena

bilingual communities, bilingual populations as well as bilingual English

discourses Grosjean (1982) and Grosjean & Miller (1994) come to the conclusion that the process of using bilingual language can take place along a continuous activity, with the beginning being monolingual when only one language is spoken and then switch to bilingualism in communication, which is said to be a random occurrence in conversations in both languages and is a high probability of mixing among two languages

In addition to defining their relationship in the context of phenomena, their properties must also be considered for discussion Actually, Code-switching is a special phenomenon of language in general and especially bilingualism in

particular, so it comprises many sides inclined to sociological categories Dahl, Rice, Steffensen, & Amundsen (2010) suppose that if we deliberate more about its creative, sociocultural as well as resourceful aspects, Code-switching can be

assessed as a special means for individuals in bilingual community to expand their ability of accumulating knowledge and upgrading their qualifications Aguirre (1988) and Hammink (2000) give a concrete example that Code-switching is entirely possible when bilingual students or students come from a different culture besides traditional school culture are present in a classroom

Based on the assertions confirmed above, it can be seen that Code-switching is one of the grate functions in a large whole name called bilingual At all views, Code-switching can be accepted as a specific instrument as well as a clear

phenomenon in society that supports bilingual individuals in the field of general linguistics In fact, many people mistake Code-switching and Bilingual to be two equivalent concepts For this reason, the study only mentions a part of bilingual which implies to help language users have a more precisely view of Code-

switching, also highlights the role of Code-switching in the community

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2.3 The roles of using Code-switching

Because it has been affirmed that Code-switching is “an essentially

conversation activity” (Wei, 2005), speakers use it as a strategy to manage and change style in words in order to achieve their communication goals Auer (1995) emphasises that Code-switching is necessary to be understood as a meaningful process in which one of the two languages is expressed the users‟ interest at any given time of communication Similarly, up to now, not a few linguists have admitted that switching among languages is an available communication option of the bilingual community, on the same foundation as the transition between styles

or dialects is the choice for monolingual speakers (Aranoff & Miller, 2003) In sociolinguistics, Code-switching has been addressed by linguists to examine when speakers do it and in which instances bilingual speakers switch from one language

to another, and it is also researched to ascertain why people do that process, for example, what factors, communicative object groups or surrounding contexts of the conversation relates to it For this purpose, Code-switching can be proved for reflecting a distinct identity by switching different dialects, voices, accents,

language combinations and idiosyncrasy in social groups In other words, it is used when people alter their language style based on the person they interact with, the issue they are talking about, the place they are speaking and more

In several previous studies, Code-switching has been widely investigated as a common and widespread phenomenon in diverse social groups, at all ages,

geographic locations, class, educational level, and ethnicity Therefore, these characteristics ordinarily play an essential role in the way they are used and at times when people switch from one language to the second In essence, there is a wide variety of reasons for communities to use Code-switching, such as the need

of meeting each situation to suit each environment, group, habit, and natural reflexes to convey thoughts as well as information that can be more conveniently explained in a certain language Moreover, the fact that we constantly change the way of expressing ourselves in how and why we do it, and it is based on

everything from culture to language to identify oneself as well as everyone around

us (Mcmanus, 2015) Some scholars also introduce other factors, including

"modernisation, westernisation, efficiency, professionalism and social progress"

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(Kachru, 1989; Kamwangamalu, 1989) They claim that some typical

Code-switching functions are group identification (Gumperz, 1982) and also the

expression of modernisation (Kamwangamalu, 1989)

Nordquist (2018) has already noted an consistency with Zentella‟s (1985) approach that Code-switching embraces several markable purposes The author lists the first one used to conceal the flexibility in the second language, which only

“accounts for about 10 percent” of it Its second purpose is to use native language for determining the transition from informal situations to second language in contexts that require more seriousness Third is the function of "control, especially between parents and children" (Zentella, 1985) Finally, it is used to record the identity of a person speaking to others in specific circumstances In addition, Code-switching also represents "particular interpersonal relationships" (Johnson, 2000) Abdullah & Buriro (2011) develop on a new thought for reasons of using Code-switching and specify that there are three main ones: converting words or phrases from L2 into L1 to facilitate conversation, using it as a tool to impress listeners, and also performing the function of being “a symbol of an educated society” Hughes, Shaunessy, Brice, Ratliff, & McHatton (2006) cite a concrete example of Guthrie & Guthrie (1987) studying bilingual teachers approach with Chinese-English speaking students in California In particular, they report, “The bilingual teacher employed five distinct purposes for code switching in reading lessons: (a) for translation; (b) as a "we code" (Gumperz, 1982) for establishing and maintaining solidarity and group membership; (c) for giving procedures and directions; (d) for clarification, especially with the introduction of new vocabulary words; and (e) as a check for understanding.” (Hughes, Shaunessy, Brice, Ratliff,

& McHatton, 2006)

The purpose of understanding the cause of CS phenomenon is to determine the time, environment as well as motivation that CS might be used as an element of social discourse Thus, the advantages and disadvantages of applying it to the process of language use will be focused and better comprehended

2.4 Advantages of using Code-switching

Much work on the potential of Code-switching has been carried out, yet there are not many papers focusing on the critical issue as the two different sides of it

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like advantages and disadvantages Evidently, its positive or negative influences as well as its role in society are a topic of great interest to professionals both in the field of linguistics and sociology Linguists and researchers argue over the

advantages and disadvantages of using Code-switching for the purpose of

educating or raising the level of traditional awareness and standpoints as well Esen (2014) estimates that Code-switching might have both favourable function and possibility of language intervention follow each different situation and

context He also underlines the point that although the phenomenon may be

perceived as incompetent in language, it completely happens in a natural direction and is likely to become an activity comprising specific purposes in most of

language classes Because of that, it takes place mainly in second language classes and it can be used in a beneficial way in class activities

Various approaches have been put forward to the issue that whether switching can be used as a sociolinguistic tool or not A growing body of literature has analysed that some linguists evaluate Code-switching as an inevitable natural phenomenon, and feel that it supports the process of expressing meaning more effectively In fact, the advantages and disadvantages of this application are

Code-basically based on the role for using it of language users Sociolinguistically, most comments say that Code-switching is an essential skill to develop in a

multicultural world that is increasingly modernised as well as continuously

developed Dexterously transforming from a fixed social group to changing faces

in other environments in communication allows us to advance more in our

personal and professional lives, at the same time avoid the potential situations and easily find common points through language as well Code-switching is

increasingly expressed in many bearings, including the role as a social, cultural and linguistic tool that facilitates speakers to integrate their own experiences of two completely different languages and also two cultures into a unified whole (Hughes, Shaunessy, Brice, Ratliff, & McHatton, 2006) Therefore, it can be seen that Code-switching has a certain meaning in society Chan (2004) highlights that

it allows speakers to signal a sudden change in the way of expressing a key issue for reminding listeners to focus on the centre of gravity while Skiba (1997)

mentions a difference more clearly that bilingual speakers can transcode smoothly

Code-switching, exceeding the backwardness in the traditional views of a disadvantageous and semi-accurate foundation, “actually reflects an intellectual advantage to many students” (Hughes, Shaunessy, Brice, Ratliff, & McHatton, 2006) Several previous studies have identified some positive points in the

application of CS in social communication for the majority of students in general

In fact, it is said that when bilingual students can shift between their two languages easily without affecting the sentence structures, then this seems to be evidence of advance in language They often take advantage of the surrounding

communication environment and their own skills of using language to fill the lull

in a conversation since somehow human nature will easily feel awkward during communication with their other objects Often in some cases, students lack

confidence in expressing their message in a way that is not clear enough in a common language, which leads them to repeat or add a response in their mother tongue for ensuring their message becomes easier to understand and create an obvious communication effect Up to now, a noticeable point of CS is the

competence of compensating for the lack capacity of user which is considered to

be quite common for students In the process of communication, they lack the knowledge and skills to convey their thoughts in other languages in addition to their native language effectively

2.5 Disadvantages of using Code-switching

In recent years there have been considerable ideas that consist of some

noteworthy factors in understanding CS as the community where it occurs or as the attitude of users According to Freeman & Freeman (2001), CS has the role as a

“filler” to help the flow of communication process be constant, but at the same time, shows weakness in the second language Excerpting from Abdullah & Buriro

innovation in the structure of one of the switched languages (Kamwangamalu, 1989) and at the same time making a language become more dominant compared

to the other languages (Cheng & Butler, 1989), CS still weakens certain traditional values among their effects (Kachru, 1989)

According to Esen (2014), Code-switching can be considered as a language intervention in classrooms Students seen it an acceptable pattern of social

communication and some feel comfortable switching languages in everyday

conversations However, he added, “This would put those who are not bilingual at

a disadvantage, because they would not be able to communicate effectively” Correspondingly, in order to be able to switch between languages in the most effective direction, it is needed that students should have a deep understanding of the two cultures as well as the fundamental structures and purposes of the two systems of languages they intend to use in parallel In the classical approach, Parama, Kreiner, Stark, & Schuetz (2017) quoted Aitchison (1991) that Code-switching was not supported in education systems since it is seen a sign of

language decay or more specifically, a negative impact on the proficiency of one

or both languages In addition, other studies have indicated that monolingual community tends to perceive this phenomenon as an inappropriate combination for L2 (Hughes, Shaunessy, Brice, Ratliff, & McHatton, 2006) On the other hand, other findings suggest that some groups of bilingual children in primary schools feel unconstructive about CS since they can also sense clutter in languages when they start having awareness of the importance of communicative languages

(Pagett, 2006) Moreover, in education, Code-switching may be perceived as a

15

sign of limitation of language proficiency in one or both languages which leads to language disorders (Cheng & Butler, 1989; Kogan, 2001) Ayeomoni (2006) concludes that “since both phenomena correlate positively with the educational attainment of individuals, English language teachers should devise the means of preventing the demerits of Code-switching and Code-mixing from adversely affecting the language acquisition process of the child”

2.6 Summary of literature review and justification of the study

In general, Code-switching is a common phenomenon comprising well-known traits that often appears in everyday life with variety of different target groups all over the world From linguistics and sociolinguistics standpoints, CS is on the go

to be a fascinating topic for experts, scholars and researchers due to its practicality From the views of most of the previous academic papers, Code-switching, can be understood in a simple sense; it is the transition from one language to another, or more precisely is the parallel use of languages during the same context of speech

It is not complicated to realise that although its popularity in society is undeniable,

at the same time conflicting opinions about its true role still exist, in addition, the questions about the efficiency or impact of CS on society is still constantly being set by a lot of researchers Typically, the statement from the study of Abdullah & Buriro (2011) say, “Code-switching is used to maximize communication and to strengthen not only the content but the essence of the message; it can be

considered an asset, not a deficiency” while Hidalgo (1988) observes that the application of Code-switching in communication is considered to be deleterious mostly by the majority of monolingual speakers and cultural as well as

generational groups in terms of its understandability, correctness, and

attractiveness Therefore, from consideration of objective elements such as causes, environments, user groups and influencing agents, it is possible to partially draw out more accurate judgments about its effects on normal conversations

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CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY

This chapter comprises five parts describing (1) The design of the research, (2) Some detailed information about the participants of the research, (3) The data collection instruments of the research, (4) The data collection procedures, and (5) The analysis of data

In the two previous chapters, the researcher presented the literature and

evidences with some aspects aligned to the central theme Code-switching As mentioned, Code-switching is a mass social phenomenon in the language world, and since it owns highly social nature, the emergence of opposing point of views is absolutely natural For that, the effects and the role of using this type of

communication tool has still been a controversial issue of many language users who have their eyes on it And obtaining these purposes needs to make clear two below questions, so the researcher runs this study

As presented in section 1.2 in chapter 1, this study aims to answer these two following questions:

(1) What are the advantages of using Code-switching in spoken language from

the perception of English-majored students and lecturers at An Giang University?

(2) What are the disadvantages of using Code-switching in spoken language from the perception of English-majored students and lecturers at An Giang

University?

3.1 Research design

Research design offers the way of arranging the study, employing the

procedures and methods to answer the research questions The aim of this study is

to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using Code-switching in spoken language from the perception of English-majored students and lecturers at AGU Because of this purpose, the descriptive study is carried out

The descriptive study based on both quantitative and qualitative data analyses

As for the quantitative data, one self-reported questionnaire including two sections presented 28 questions was made to collect data from English-majored students at

An Giang University The qualitative data were gathered through the interview

with the lecturers currently working at AGU

The other group of participants were three English-majored lecturers at An Giang University who have spent many years using and knowing English foreign language wide and deep These lecturers were randomly chosen not based on a certain age frame or expertise in any particular subject, so their experiences and opinions on approaching as well as applying languages will be more diverse and objective

phenomenon in society, but not everyone knows and is familiar with its name Therefore, on the first page of the questionnaire, the researcher explains the

meaning and give a concrete example of the phenomenon to ensure that all

as well as others‟ Thereby, the researcher can base on such opinions to know whether students approve or oppose using Code-switching in society Questions 4 and 5 focus on the advantages and disadvantages that are possibly considered to happen most regularly and are the central issues of this study The final questions,

7, 9 and 10 are used to hold participants‟ opinion polls about their suggestions for using Code-switching effectively Among these questions, there are a number of them that the researcher referred to and adapted from previous studies as well as a website that had relevant contents

1 With the definition explained above, as an

English-majored student, in your

communication, do you use both English

and Vietnamese in the same conversation?

QuestionPro.Inc

2 When you code switch between

4 According to you, which of the following

are the advantages of using Code-switching? Al-Qaysi, N J M (2016)

19

Table 1 Sources of the referred and adapted questions of the closed-ended

statements section 3.3.1.2 Rating scales

The second part of the questionnaire about “The advantages and disadvantages

of using Code-switching in spoken language from the perception of

English-majored students and lecturers at An Giang University” includes a total of 18 items involved in a set of 3 main contents: reasons (6 items), advantages (8 items) and disadvantages (4 items) of using Code-switching When answering these questions

in the questionnaire, the students are asked to mark the only one option among all response options rated according to a five-point scale: Strongly disagree, Disagree,

No ideas, Agree, Strongly agree Among those statements, there are a number of them that the researcher referred to and adapted from previous studies that had relevant contents

17 I can use Code-switching to emphasise the

main ideas that I want the listeners to pay

attention to during communications

Dong, W (n.d.)

19 I can use Code-switching to express my

own thoughts, feelings, opinions whenever I

do not have enough vocabulary as well as

facility in my native language

Naveed (2014)

21 Code-switching helps me easily understand

the content that others say and vice versa Al-Qaysi, N J M (2016)

22 Instead of thinking and searching for

words to express in my native language or

second language, I save a lot more time when

communicating with Code-switching

Dong, W (n.d.)

Table 2 Sources of the referred and adapted questions of the rating scales

section

interview questions is created by the researcher herself and corrected by her

supervisor in accordance with the research questions of this present study The structure of the interview questions for lecturers mainly focus on the aspects related to the topic of using Code-switching: their perceptions of Code-switching, their observations and personal states of using Code-switching, their evaluation as well as suggestions over the advantages and disadvantages of using Code-

switching in society (see Appendix 2) The subjects of the interview are three lecturers who have taught English Majors at An Giang University for many years

as well as have a wide and deep knowledge about using English language

3.4 Data collection procedures

3.4.1 Administering the questionnaires

The questionnaire was issued with the set up form as the original test since the researcher piloted them to check their reliability A number of junior students from

a small group of one class who were not the target objects of the study were

randomly chosen to answer the questionnaire Since the students all have majored

in English, so they confirmed that it was clear for them to answer all those

questions related to their major Yet, some modifications were made as the

researcher found out that the expressing way as well as the order of the questions list made the students a little confused Thus, after varying the order and adding some needed words, the supervisor accepted to officially conduct the questionnaire after she had carefully examined its validity

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The questionnaire was then distributed to the 96 target students in the last week

of February, 29 of whom were in class DH18TA, 29 in class DH18AV, 14 in class CD43AV and 24 students from the class DH19TA1 The students were asked to fill in the questionnaire explained with full instructions for ensuring their

understanding about the study topic as well as every question happening in the questionnaire It took all of the students approximately 30 minutes to complete it The questionnaires were collected fully and those response data would be then

entered into the computer for data analyses

3.4.2 Administering the interviews

After the agreement was finally reached, the interviews were conducted The schedules of interviews were set up according to the convenient time and places for the interviewees Each interview only had the presence of the researcher and the interviewee (the lecturer) who had been scheduled in advance to ensure the confidentiality of their identity and their answers without any interruption The researcher both recorded and took notes immediately main ideas from the

interviewee‟s response It took about 15 minutes long for each interview At the end of the interviews, the researcher gave her sincere thanks to all participants for their spending time and contribution to the study

3.5 Data analysis procedures

3.5.1 Analysis of the questionnaires

The data gathered from the questionnaires were compiled and entered into Statistics Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 18.0 program to analyse

Descriptive Statistics Test was employed to find out the degrees in the students' assessments about the reasons, advantages as well as disadvantages, which were orderly ranked from strongly disagree to strongly agree Besides, the tool was also used to determine the ratio of students when selecting the anwers that appropriate

to them the most in closed-ended questions Since then, these choices would be shown under Charts On the other hand, in order for the data analysis process to become more efficient and convenient, the statements in the questionnaire were transformed into briefer phrases to be presented in the form of data tables as well

as charts

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3.5.2 Analysis of the interviews

The data analyses for the interviews also involved descriptive data and were used by note-taking technique The components of the set of interview questions in the list were classified under the main items of Code-switching use topic as

mentioned in the interview section Each of the answers of the different

interviewees was analysed by categorising based on the main ideas that came out from their responses for each question Besides, the analyses were also viewed by grouping the involved themes of individual respondents for the same question

applied to the analysing process for the results of the interviews

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CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS

This chapter will present all the analysis of (1) the data collected from the questionnaires and (2) the interviews described in the previous chapter

4.1 Data collected from the questionnaires of English-majored students at An Giang University

The researcher delivered questionnaires to 96 students from four different groups of English-majored classes The questionnaire was presented in two

separated sections with different types of statements used to increase

diversification and persuasion for the entire questionnaire Thus, in the chapter of results, the analysis would also be devided into two parts that suited the most to these two kinds of questions: closed-ended questions and rating scales

4.1.1 Closed-ended questions

In this first section, charts were the means showing the data results that were gathered There were a total of 10 questions and their findings would be portrayed

in sequence along with detailed illustrative graphs in turn

Question 1 With the definition explained above, as an English-majored student, in

your communication, do you use both English and Vietnamese in the same

conversation?

This is the type of question that has only one option selected, so the result will

be compared to the total number of percentage of 100.0 In order to be more

convenient in charting, the researcher transformed six choices into respectively shorter phrases:

(1) I use it daily and often When I communicate with my friends, I often switch

from Vietnamese to English and vice versa - Daily and often

(2) I sometimes use it but not very often - Sometimes

(3) I seldom use it - Seldom

(4) I only use it when necessary - When necessary

(5) I try not to - Try to avoid

(6) I never use it because I do not like it - Never

The question aims to determine the real personal status of the English-majored students at AGU in using Code-switching in conversation In fact, when they

24

directly use it, they may more or less see its advantages and disadvantages in communication According to the graph below, the result shows that over 50.0 percent of participants (56.3) sometimes use Code-switching in communication This indicates that each individual actually uses it randomly and in sudden

inspiration in conversation The next much-chosen option belongs to "Daily and often" (25.0) which proves that there are some others who apply Code-switching in their everyday communication The rests respectively say that students just use Code-switching in conversation when necessary (11.5) or even try not to use if possible (4.2), and the remaining one is seldom, which takes only 3.0 percent No one chooses the answer "Never", so it does not appeared in the graph

Figure 1 The personal status of using both English and Vietnamese in the

same conversation

Question 2 When you code switch between languages, you usually use… (You can

choose more than one answer)

This is the type of question that each student can select more than one answer,

so the result cannot be compared to the percentage of 100.0 but only on the

number of times that the answer appears from much to less With this question, the researcher wants to know how high the level of CS of participants is when they use

it in communication Thus, the choices described in sequence which have just been mentioned are: "A complete words", "A complete phrase", "A clause" and "A whole sentence" corresponding to the number of times 82, 27, 16, 11 From the

25

findings analysed in question 1 and this question, it is not really surprised that in fact, most of participants have used Code-switching at a certain and moderate level This question may partly help the researcher determine whether or not students are abusing CS in communication

Figure 2 The set level of using Code-switching

Question 3 What do you think when you see other people using Code-switching?

Being similar to the first question, this one belongs to one-selected question

and each answer is also transformed into shorter phrases:

(1) Nothing, it is part of life - Part of life

(2) They are so good at using languages - Good language users

(3) It really helps them communicate more naturally and comfortably - Natural

and comfortable talk

(4) It is fine but I will be more pleased if they do not use it - OK but it is better

with a low frequency

(5) It is no need for them to use it - Unnecessary use

(6) They make me tired and angry - Being annoyed

The question is set for the purpose of identifying the reaction of

English-majored students to others' use of Code-switching Through this, the researcher can catch the positive or negative thoughts of them towards the phenomenon to support the research's topic The statistic points out that 41.7 percent of students choose

"Natural and comfortable talk" as the answer to reflect their thinking for the

question Besides, 29.2 percent of students consider that Code-switching is

The set level of using Code-switching

Just a few words

A complete phrase

A clause

A whole sentence

26

officially a "part of life" while another 16.7 percent agree on the idea that the users are good at using languages The percentage of opposing groups are 8.3 for the answer "OK but it is better with a low frequency" and 3.1 for "Unnecessary use" Only 1.0 percent of participants feel tired and annoyed at the situations

Figure 3 The attitudes towards others' use of Code-switching

Question 4 According to you, which of the following are the advantages of using

Code-switching? (You can choose more than one answer.)

This is one of the two central questions of the study and it is obviously

designed as a choice question with the acceptability in choosing more than one

answer The options are also summarised into these following shorter phrases: (1) Code-switching makes my language use be increasingly advanced - Improved

language use

(2) Code-switching makes the atmosphere of my communication much friendlier -

Friendly atmosphere

(3) As an English-majored student, I feel that Code-switching creates a lot of

motivation to help me communicate more often - Communicating motivation

(4) Code-switching makes it easy for me to adapt to a variety of different

communication environments - Adaptable environments

(5) Code-switching helps me begin my communication effectively - An effective

The attitudes towards others' use of Code-switching

Part of life Good language users

Natural and comfortable talk OK but it is better with a low frequency

Unnecessary use Being annoyed

Meanwhile, some others think about the convenience in adapting every

environment of communication (43) in which the flexibility of using language is attached to special importance It is a very close inequality that there are 35

students choose the answer "Friendly atmosphere" while 30 others chose

"Communicating motivation" There are only 12 students agree with the idea "An effective start of communication", which means the majority of participants do not feel difficult when starting conversations without Code-switching

Figure 4 Advantages of using Code-switching

Question 5 According to you, which of the following are the disadvantages of

using Code-switching? (You can choose more than one answer.)

This is the other question of the two important questions of the thesis and it is also designed with the same type as the previous one The options are shorten into

these following phrases:

Advantages of using Code-switching

Improved language use Friendly atmosphere

Communicating motivation Adaptable environments

An effective start of communication Simplest language approach

28

(1) When using Code-switching, both me and my communication objects must

know what switching is and understand the code If only me know switching but the listeners do not, I will have to explain it to them, which leads to the loss of communication efficiency - Similar understanding of CS

Code-(2) Both me and my communication objects must know the same vocabulary and

have the same level of languages, so I need to make sure the listeners also know the vocabulary I use, otherwise it will lead to a lack of understanding during communication - Equal language level

(3) Code-switching is used with a very low and popular level of language to create

understandability for everyone, so it increases the ability of languages

simplification, but also loses its function of diversification into languages like expressing sentences with more advanced words and structures - Preventing bettering advanced language

(4) Using Code-switching makes my communication topics usually be limited -

Limited communication topics

(5) Code-switching makes it difficult for me to control and be active in my

communication - Cause of uncontrollable and passive communication

(6) Code-switching will create a bad habit for me in cases where academic

language is needed - Bad habit in further improvement in any learning

Compared to the question about the advantage of Code-switching, this one seems to have less approvals The result indicates that 61 students really suppose that "Similar understanding of CS" is above all of the disadvantages of using Code-switching Accordingly, the next position belongs to "Equal language level" (47) which has a little bit relation with the idea before There are 33 participants thinking that Code-switching will cause a bad habit for them in further

improvement in any learning while other 28 participants have a thought of

"Preventing bettering advanced language" In contrast, the number of the rests in two last groups is low when there are only 12 people choosing "Limited

communication topics" and 8 people tick the answer "Cause of uncontrollable and passive communication"

29

Figure 5 Disadvantages of using Code-switching

Question 6 When English-majored lecturers use both Vietnamese and English in

classrooms, how do you feel?

This one-selected question is displayed under the type of pie chart and the

briefer phrases representing the choices are:

(1) I like that because it makes lessons easier to understand and create a higher

receptive effect - Favourable

(2) I feel fine and have no problem with it - Acceptable

(3) I do not like it because it confuses me with knowledge acquisition and makes

my listening skills decreased - Unfavourable

(4) I feel very uncomfortable and annoyed because that use is not only unuseful but

also makes the lessons more complicated - Unacceptable

Through this question, the researcher wants to know whether English-majored students support their lecturers to apply Code-switching in teaching Based on the chart below, the result shows that 65.6 percent of students truely like their lecturers

to use the tool in lessons since they realise that it is very helpful in understanding all of information Besides, 27.1 percent of samples are in the neutral attitude where the feeling comes really normal to them when lecturers use it In contrast, a very few students have a thought that it is "Unfavourable" for applying Code-switching in class at 5.2% and only 2.1% of them believe that it "Unacceptable" Generally, combined with the findings obtained in the question 3, it seems like

Cause of uncontrollable and passive communication Bad habit in further improvements in any learning

30

most of English-majored students quite agree with the positive aspects of switching in living and working environments

Code-Figure 6 Students' attitudes towards lecturers' use of Code-switching

Question 7 Where do you think Code-switching should be used? (You can choose

more than one answer.)

This question includes many options that one student can choose more than one answer Similar to previous questions, shortened phrases will replace the original statements:

(1) With friends or anyone who have the same level of language with you - People

with the same language level

(2) With older people like foreign language teachers since they understand the

language you are using - Native English teachers with a little Vietnamese

knowledge

(3) With your family members or close friends if they understand the language you

are using - Family members or close friends

(4) In learning environments and formal situations like conferences, workshops,

- Only in learning and formal environments

(5) In normal communication environments with people who can speak a second

language - Bilingual people in normal communications

(6) In all cases and with any objects (including those who know a second language

and those who do not) - In all cases and with any objects