Code-switching as a Conversational Lubricant in the Literature Classrooms: An Explanatory Study Based on the Opine of Fijian High School ESL Teachers

Abstract

Code-switching in multicultural and multilingual classrooms is a highly acceptable phenomenon that has a repertoire of attributions in a country like Fiji, where English is taught as a compulsory second language (ESL). Naturally, the knowledge of literary code-switching can be considered distinguishable from general code-switching because it is used as a writing tool by the authors of literary texts. As the worldwide changes in teaching ESL methodologies, techniques and strategies concomitants with English Language Teaching (ELT), code-switching is equally considered as the part of a teaching tool that ought to posit effective learning. Presently, this study seeks to discuss the metadiscourse analysis of code-switching by teachers of English literature in the Fijian high school ESL classrooms. The paper intends to give a broader spectrum to the explicit purposes behind teachers' code-switching and their attitudes. This research has adopted one instrument for data collection due to the current pandemic, and it was through an online structured research questionnaire. In totality, twenty-five high school ESL teachers were used as samples from selected high schools between Nadi to Ba corridor. It is envisaged that findings should complement the reasons for code-switching, such as during simple classroom communication in literature classes, elucidating abstract contents, interpreting and introducing unversed terminologies. The research has applied the rudiments of the mixed-method research approach for authentic data collection and analysis of the study.