Code- switching in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL): Teachers and Students’ Attitudes

Abstract

Code-switching (CS) is the shifting from one language to another in conversation. It could be done within parts of a sentence as words and phrases. It is always looked upon with suspicion and not encouraged in EFL learning. This study aims to investigate the attitudes of both teachers and students towards teacher’s code-switching and to identify the functions of code-switching. The data is collected through observations and interviews. Three female teachers are observed. The observations are recorded, transcribed and analyzed. The interviews are done with the teachers and 10 students from the sixth grade. The results show positive attitudes towards code-switching as it is mainly used for clarifications, giving instructions and transferring the knowledge to the students in an efficient way.