CODE SWITCHING

Code Switching is the process of alternating between two languages or language verities, in a
single conversation, while keeping up the linguistic features of that language or variety of
language. Multilingual speakers often move back and forth between two languages or verities of
languages while conversing with each other to facilitate their conversation. This practice is Code
Switching, also known as Code Mixing.
There are mainly two types of code-switching.
1. Situational Code-switching
Situational code-switching is the tendency in a bilingual or multilingual community to use
different languages or language varieties in different social situations, or to switch
varieties in order to mark a change in situation. The choice of language is controlled by
rules, which members of the community learn from their experience, so these rules are
part of their total linguistic knowledge. However, the changeover from one to the other
may be instantaneous. Sometimes the situations are so socially prescribed that they can
even be taught, e.g., those associated with ceremonial or religious functions. This kind of
code-switching differs from diglossia. In diglossic communities the situation also controls
the choice of variety but the choice is much more rigidly defined by the particular activity
that is involved and by the relationship between the participants. Diglossia reinforces
differences, whereas code-switching tends to reduce them. In diglossia too people are
quite aware that they have switched from H to L or L to H. Code-switching, on the other
hand, is often quite subconscious: people may not be aware that they have switched or be
able to report, following a conversation, which code they used for a particular topic.
Example of Situational code-switching in Bangladesh would be like using Arabic in
mosque and religious sermons, standard bangle in academic and cultural arena, English in
courtly matter or official purposes.
2. Metaphorical Code-switching
Metaphorical code-switching refers to the tendency in a bilingual or multilingual
community to switch codes (language or language variety) in conversation in order to
discuss a topic that would normally fall into another conversational domain. "An
important distinction is made from situational switching, where alternation between
varieties redefines a situation, being a change in governing norms, and metaphorical
switching, where alternation enriches a situation, allowing for allusion to more than one
social relationship within the situation."For example, at a family dinner, where you would
expect to hear a more colloquial, less prestigious variety of language (called "L variety"
in studies of diglossia), family members might switch to a highly prestigious form (H
variety) in order to discuss school or work. At work (where you would expect high
prestige language) interlocutors may switch to a low prestige variety when discussing
family.

Applied level Code Switching

For applied level code-switching, there are mainly three types of code-switching. These types of
code switching are discussed in the structural level of code-switching.
1. Inter-sentential Switching
Code Switching that occurs outside the sentence or clause level, at the boundaries of
sentences or clauses. Sometimes it is also known as Extra-sentential Switching.
For example: Ami to ekhane. What happened?

2. Intra-sentential Switching
This is the type of code switching that occurs within the sentence or a clause. This code
switching is very common in the languages that share common family i.e. SpanishEnglish, or Urdu-Arabic.
For Example : Ami ki bolchilam, He never bothered about it
3. Tag Switching
As it is self explanatory, in this type of code switching, a word or phrase from another
language is TAGGED in the conversation. This is very much similar to intra-sentential
code switching.
For Example: No one at the office was willing to say anything except that je order upor
theke eseche.
CODE MIXING:
Code-mixing is the change of one language to another within the same utterance or in the same
oral/written text. It is a common phenomenon in societies in which two or more languages are
used.
Code mixing is a mixing of two codes or languages, usually without a change of topic. Code
mixing often occurs within one sentence, one element is spoken in language A and the rest in
language B. Additionally code mixing is found mainly in informal interactions. In formal
situation, the speaker tends to mix it because there is no exact idiom in that language, so it is
necessary to use words or idioms from other language.
Referring to the different characteristics and features of code-mixing, various linguists have
defined it in different ways. For instance
Numan and Carter define code-mixing as, a phenomenon of switching from one language to
another in the same discourse. According to Berthold, Mangubhai and Bartorowiez 1997, codemixing occurs when speakers shift from one language to the other in the midst of their
conversation. Thus this definition accommodates inter-sentential switching and intra-sentential
mixing both under the term code switching.
Code-mixing is an interesting phenomenon in bilingual societies. Code-mixing leads to language
hybridization that in turn gives birth to the issues of language maintenance, shift, and desertion.
Wardhaugh (1992), characterizes that code mixing occurs when during conversation, speakers
use both languages together to the extent that they shift from one language to the other in the
course of a single utterance. In code-mixing sentences, pieces of one language are used while a
speaker basically using another language.
FEATURES OF CODE MIXING:
Code-mixing is a phenomenon of switching one language to another in such communities where
people are bilingualism or multilingualism. If we talk about features of code mixing then we
come top know that; Sridhar, a linguist, has elaborated the following three features of code
mixing through analysis of a text.
These features are an applicable on the everyday language use:
The mixed elements are on every level of grammatical organization such as noun, verbs,
attributive and predicative adjectives, and noun phrases etc.
The mixed elements are not specifically culture oriented or culture bond. They are
mostly from day to day life and every day usage items, which have acceptable equivalent
in the language in which they are mixed.
The mixed elements obey the rules of the original language from which they are taken as far as
their grammatical organization is concerned.