Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Research Background
Since code-switching came into existence in 1950s, it has become a hot topic in manyacademic fields. Researchers have studied this phenomenon from many different perspectives.Of all these studies, sociolinguistics regards it as a special social phenomenon. It tries to findthe inner links between code-switching and social factors at a macro level. Humanity treatscode-switching as a part of a special group or a certain special social group or a concretereflection of this culture at the language level. Linguistics treats code-switching as thereflection of language usage ability of communicators. Code-switching can let communicatorsrealize many kinds of psychological motivations, such as saying the appropriate words insteadof the embarrassing inappropriate ones, offering indirect answers, shortening thepsychological distance between speakers. All of these showing that many factors lead tocode-switching and these factors are very complex. Of course code-switching in English classhappen in a specific linguistic context. Because class is a sacred place, teachers have to saycertain things in class in order to adapt to this specific situation.In 1968 the American Congress issued the Bilingual Education. Just because of the issueof this law, the study of code-switching gradually involves teachers in the classroom, and theissue of how much of native language can be used in the class has become more and morefierce. Many linguists believe that during the process of learning if students are exposed to toomuch native language, it will definitely do harm to their learning. But due to language gapsand the limited ability of English teachers and the great difficulty that students facing whilelistening to pure English class, so that in our country code-switching among English teachersis very popular. Many English teachers also believe that using appropriate amount of nativelanguage can have positive influence in class and can help learners learn better. What teachersshould bear in mind is that they should use code-switching cautiously and with purpose.
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1.2 Significance of the Study
This thesis focuses on English teachers’ code-switching in English class under theadaptation theory. The findings of this study and the previous ones will be of great help forChinese English teachers to inspire them to teach more efficiently. It will guide them tomonitor their language choice in teaching practice and try their best to do code-switchingbetween Chinese and English judiciously in their class. Meanwhile it might be a challenge tocurrent English teaching in China. For the non-English majors, pure target language input isnot as feasible as it is expected up to now. Although teacher language is a kind of highlycontrolled language, it is also highly influenced by many other complex factors.Teachers resort to Chinese are not always because of their language problem. They justwant to make sure that students can understand better. Based on previous findings oncode-switching from sociolinguistics to pragmatics, especially the pragmatic model proposedby Yu along with Jef Verschueren’s linguistic adaptation theory, this study specifies theinvestigation and presented a detailed descriptions of the functions of vocational collegeteachers’ English-Chinese code-switching in language class and try to discuss its possible influences on the foreign language learning and teaching. As we all know, teachers play veryimportant roles in classroom. Actually, many classes are still teacher-oriented. Teachers’ talkwould have great effects on the whole class. Thus teachers’ talk would inevitably have somepositive or negative effects upon students’ learning. The author hopes to find ways tominimize the negative effects. And further researches may establish some principles forcode-switching in foreign language classrooms by understanding its functions andconsequences. Previous researches study what influences code-switching have on students’learning, but these researches never go to details on which link does code-switching influencestudents’ learning. In this essay the author will find answer to this question.
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Chapter II Literature Review
2.1 Definitions of Code-switching
Before we know code-switching, first we should pay attention to the term “code”. It wasfirst proposed by Bernstein (1971, 1973). He defined code as any kinds of signals that can beused for sending messages.Hans Vogt was the first person who first came up with the term “code-switching’’ in his worksin 1954: “Code-switching in itself is actually is a psychological phenomenon instead of alinguistic phenomenon， and its causes are obviously extra-linguistic”. Nowadays，the termcode-switching has been widely discussed and used and has gained a legitimate status in thefield of linguistics in general．However, linguists do not have a common definition of thisterm because they come up with the definition of code-switching in order to support their ownresearch purposes and opinions．Therefore，until now, there has not been a universallyaccepted definition of code-switching．In the field of sociolinguistics and applied linguistics,the definition and function of code-switching have been under constant explorations.Code-switching is a term mostly used in sociolinguistics, which refers to the interactions oftwo different languages employed by those same language speakers during the sameconversation．As a matter of fact, code-switching is the alternate use of two or morelanguages，dialects or various styles or the conscious alternate use of two or more differentlanguages in the same context or the alternate use of different language systems according to aperson’s likes and dislikes in talks．
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2.2 Code-switching and Code-mixing
Researchers usually define code-switching based on their own researching aim, methodand attitude. Until now, we still find it hard to give it a universal definition about it. Yet wecan divide all definitions into three broad categories. In the first category the proposal thatthere is a difference between code-switching and code-mixing is shown by researchers (Yu,2001), and their cognitive foundations are their understanding of linguistic units and thelinguistic structures of the code which is switched.Code-switching and code-mixing are terms in sociolinguistics for language andespecially speech that draws to different degrees on at least two languages combined indifferent ways. Both code-switching and code-mixing are language alternations．The termcode-mixing emphasizes hybridization，and the term code-switching attaches importance tomovement from one language to another．Because there is different understanding of relationbetween the two of them, different versions of definitions about code-switching have beenproposed by scholars. The following three separate types of definitions of code-switching arepresented here: Type one accepts the distinctions between code-switching and code-mixing；On the other hand, the second one disagrees with the differences; What is more interesting isthat the third does not hold any position about the differences between them．
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Chapter III Theoretical Framework.......... 13
3.1 Verschueren’s Adaptation Theory ........ 13
3.1.1 Variability, Negotiability and Adaptability ..... 14
3.1.2 Four Angles of Investigation ........ 14
3.2 Yu Guodong’s Adaptation Model.......... 16
3.2.1 Adaptation to Linguistic Reality......... 17
3.2.2 Adaptation to Social Conventions....... 18
3.2.3 Adaptation to Psychological Motivations......... 20
3.3 Summary of the Chapter ...... 21
Chapter IV Research Methodology.......... 22
4.1 Subjects of the Study and Research Methodology ....... 22
4.2 Instruments .... 23
Chapter V Data Analysis and Results ...... 26
5.1 Results of the Questionnaires .......... 26
5.2 Findings of Classroom Recordings ........ 32
5.3 Results of Teachers’ Interview........ 34
5.4 Pragmatic Functions of Code-switching in Classrooms ......... 35
5.5 The Influences of Code-switching on the Teaching Process.......... 46
5.6 Code-switching on Different Aspects of Students’ Study ....... 52
5.7 Summary ........ 54
Chapter V Data Analysis and Results
5.1 Results of the Questionnaires
These are the two questionnaires for teachers and students respectively. In this part，theresults of the questionnaires are analyzed. Besides that, code-switching in the five teachers’classes，students’ attitudes and expectations towards teachers’ switching frequency and thesituations in which code-switching happened are presented. Although it is often suggested thatvocational college English teachers should speak English in classes as much as possible andtry to create good atmosphere for students' English learning. According to the questionnaires，code-switching does exist in the vocational college English classes where this research wasconducted．The study shows different teachers have different amount of Chinese codes inclass and there were differences between teachers’ and students’ responses in the use ofcode-switching.
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Conclusion
Code-switching has existed for centuries though it hasn’t been noticed until decades ago.With widely increasing communications between different countries, code-switching plays animportant role in language learning and teaching process. In vocational college Englishclassrooms where this research was conducted, code-switching played a key role in teaching.This chapter intends to summarize the major findings, results of this research and pointsout the practical implications for proper use of code-switching in vocational college Englishclasses. Firstly, the author will make a short summary about what have been discussed before,then will state the implications of this study, and finally will point out the limitations in thisresearch and come up with some suggestions for future vocational college English learningand teaching. In this study the main findings mainly gathered through three different channels: surveyof questionnaires, the classroom recordings and teachers’ interviews. Here is a brief statementof the main findings in this study: First, the questionnaires reflect that teachers’code-switching is still widely used in vocational college English class. Most of the teachersand students agreed that most teachers regard English as the major tool in practice, and mostof the teachers and students are in favor of teachers’ code-switching in class. Teachers shouldtake the students’ language levels into consideration when they use code-switching in class.Students with different language levels need different amount of code-switching and also ondifferent aspects of English learning.#p#分页标题#e#
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Reference (omitted)
