Abstract:

Apart from the negative perceptions of code-switching, teachers’ code-switching (hereafter CS) whether in classroom discourse or socialising discourse serves a variety of pedagogical purposes. So far, no empirical studies on code-switching related to socializing discourse in the EFL classrooms are conducted in Pakistan. On the whole, however, there seems to be a lack of awareness on the part of Pakistani teachers about the significance of code-switching for socialising discourse. This paper tried to identify the reasons for code-switching by observing how and why teachers’ code-switched and what specific pedagogical functions code-switching served in socializing discourse. Keeping in view the significance of interactional patterns/behaviours in the study, the researchers decided to get an in-depth understanding of the teachers’ code-switching in the EFL classrooms without disturbing the natural discourse of the classroom. For this purpose, the reasons for teachers’ socialized patterns of CS were investigated by using an ethnographic design. The data were collected from a series of Diploma TEFL lectures presented by different resource persons/teachers. Teachers’ socialized patterns of code-switching were identified and, then, transcribed. Analysis of the data showed that, in most cases, code switching by the teachers served some kind of pedagogical purposes. This paper can help arrive a better understanding of teachers’ socialized pattern of code-switching. Further, it can also assist to get appropriate insights into the interactional patterns between teachers and students for socialising discourse. Finally, suggestions about the teachers’ use of code switching related to socializing discourse were provided.

Keywords:

Socializing discourse, code-switching, ethnography of interaction, EFL context, classroom discourse, use of L1.