The Secret to Bilingual Development: Code Switching

Today, we're talking about code-switching, an essential part of bilingual development. Have you ever seen your child suddenly switch between English and Korean while speaking, or switch between Korean and English?

"Is my child having trouble speaking?"

"Could it be that both languages are developing haphazardly?

If you've had these concerns, I think today's story will be of great help.

Code switching, what is it?

Code-switching, simply put, is the natural, seamless transition between two or more languages during a conversation (Gross, 2006), much like freely opening and closing two language drawers.

You can tell your child is code-switching when you see them mixing Korean and English, like, "The weather is really nice today, isn't it?"

Examples of code switching in everyday life

Code switching is something we see all around us.

- Mixing English with Korean, like "Mom, please give me some water?"

- When talking with friends, take turns using each other's native language.

- Teachers at school use children's native language when explaining difficult concepts.

Why do children code switch?

Why do our children mix up their words like this? There are several reasons.

1) More effective communication : Children who are constantly exposed to two languages may feel inadequate in one. When they can't find the right words, they turn to the other language to express themselves better (Crystal, 1997).

2) Building social relationships : Mixing languages with friends who speak both languages can sometimes feel like a secret code between us. In fact, this approach builds intimacy and strengthens bonds (Li Wel, 2000).

3) Identity Expression : Children also demonstrate who they are through code-switching, naturally revealing their dual cultural and linguistic identities[3].

Is code switching good for language development?

If you're worried, "Could this be negatively affecting my child's language development?" the answer is no! Code-switching is a natural phenomenon that occurs as a child acquires two languages (Kebeya, 2013).

Code switching and children's language development:

- It is quite natural for a child to use both languages as a single system in the early stages of learning two languages simultaneously ( Volterra, V., & Taeschner, T. (1978)) .

- Research has shown that children tend to code-switch when they do not know the translation of a particular word or cannot find the appropriate grammatical structure in the language they are currently using (Kebeya, 2013).

- Children use code-switching as a strategy to fill in the gaps in their relatively weaker language by leveraging the resources of their stronger language (Kebeya, 2013).

- In fact, many studies suggest that children benefit from the use of their more proficient language when communicating in a less proficient language (Kebeya, 2013).

 

Bilingual Parents, What if You Code-Switch When You Speak?

There is a lot of research on how parental code switching affects children's vocabulary and grammar development.

Although parents who mix words too often may make it difficult for children to distinguish words clearly ( Byers-Heinlein, & Lew-Williams, 2013) , mixing words appropriately within sentences may actually help children develop their vocabulary.

Code switching and vocabulary and grammar development:

- Some studies have reported that frequent code-switching by parents can have a negative impact on the vocabulary development of young children ( Byers-Heinlein, & Lew-Williams, 2013).

- On the other hand, other studies have shown that parents' code switching within sentences can actually have a positive effect on children's vocabulary development ( Byers-Heinlein, & Lew-Williams, 2013)

- The amount of language exposure and proficiency of a child also affect code-switching patterns. In the case of children with relatively low language ability, excessive exposure to code-switching can actually cause difficulties in language development ( Kaushanskaya, & Crespo, 2019).

- For children with high language abilities, code switching may actually help expand vocabulary or improve linguistic flexibility ( Kaushanskaya, & Crespo, 2019)

 

Code Switching: Myths and Truths

Some people misunderstand code-switching as a lack of language skills, but that's not the case at all. Rather, it's evidence of bilingual proficiency. Children demonstrate the ability to select and use language appropriately depending on the situation.

- Accept and respect your child's code switching as a natural phenomenon.

Provide your child with a variety of language experiences. Reading books or singing songs are good options.

- If you have any questions about your child's language development, please consult a professional at any time.

 

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Reference

Byers-Heinlein, K., & Lew-Williams, C. (2013). Bilingualism in the early years: What the science says. Learning Landscapes , 7 (1), 95-11 2.  

Crystal, D. (1997). A dictionary of linguistics and phonetics . Blackwell Publishing.

Gardner-Chloros, P. (2009). Code-switching. Cambridge University Press.

Gross, S. (2006). Language Contact and Code-Switching: An Empirical Investigation. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Kaushanskaya, M., & Crespo, K. (2019). Does Exposure to Code-Switching Influence Language Performance in Bilingual Children?. Child development , 90 (3), 708–718.

Kebeya, H. (2013). Code-switching and code-mixing among French-English bilinguals in Canada: A critical review. Journal of Pan African Studies , 6 (1), 164-181.

Li Wei. (2000). The bilingualism reader . Psychology Press.

Volterra, V., & Taeschner, T. (1978). The acquisition and development of language by bilingual children. Journal of Child Language , ¹ 5 (2), 311-326.