The Role of Code Switching between Arabic and English in Saudi Secondary School EFL Classrooms

Background and Significance of the Issue

This assignment builds directly on and further develops the work undertaken for the first assessment task. This assessment task involves the preparation of a critical essay that investigates a contemporary issue in education, and will require you to: outline the nature, background, context and significance of the educational issue; ♦ survey and engage critically with relevant academic literature; ♦ develop a coherent, consistent and persuasive argument, supported by evidence from research literature; and ♦ • Assessment Requirements articulate and present the above elements in a systematic and professional manner, in accordance with academic writing and referencing styles. ♦ The work involved in the preparation of this paper can be undertaken on an individual basis, or on a collaborative basis by partners who investigated the same educational issue for the first assessment task. However, each partner will be required to produce and submit their own critical essay, based on the collaborative work undertaken for the first assessment task and the further research undertaken in subsequent weeks leading up to the due date. Further guidelines for this assessment task will be available on the Moodle website. Word count: 4000 Word limit: 50% Weighting/Value: Criteria for marking: The second assignment will be assessed along a five-point scale against the following criteria: Clear outline of the nature, background, context and significance of the education issue; ♦ Concise definitions of keywords and discussion of relevant concepts; ♦ Critically reflective analysis and synthesis of relevant academic literature; ♦ Balanced discussion and evaluation of other authorial positions, arguments and evidence; ♦ Clear, coherent and consistent development of own position and line of reasoning; ♦ Succinct identification of implications for education research, policy and/or practice; ♦ Persuasive and rigorous argumentation, supported by evidence from academic and other relevant sources; ♦ Systematic, accurate, and professional presentation (proofread, conforming to the conventions of academic writing, with referencing in APA 6 style); and ♦ Completion of all elements of the assessment task, as specified in the EDF4611 Assessment Guidelines (accessible on Moodle). ♦ Learning resources Monash Library Unit Reading List (if applicable to the unit) http://readinglists.lib.monash.edu/index.html Feedback to you Types of feedback you can expect to receive in this unit are: Graded assignments with comments • Extensions and penalties Faculty of Education policy will apply. Assessment Requirements

Here is my outline:                         

My topic: How much Code Switching between Arabic and English in EFL classroom in Saudi secondary schools  will facilitate the English learning and make the learning process more effective?

Investigating Code Switching in EFL Classrooms

Investigate Code switching between Arabic and English in FEL class in Saudi 

From:

Inside

As learner

As teacher

From outside 

As scholar 

1. Background/nature/significance of the underlying problem:

English is taught in Saudi schools as a foreign language. Students in Saudi start  studying English from grade four and they keep studying it until they finish their high schools which has total of nine years of English learning. Also, the English subject as being taught in Saudi   has the same amount of teaching in schools      just like the other subjects. Arabic is the official language In Saudi  and it is  essential elements of  Saudi identity. Furthermore,  it is  the language of  both education and communication, it is very common that both teachers and students used Arabic in the English classes or what is known as code switching (hereafter CS). CS in language classroom which is a debatable issue, can help students to feel comfortable in English learning and use of English in the classroom (Then and Ting, 2011). According to Alshammari (2011) "Little attention has been paid to the issue of using L1 in the context of the Saudi EFL classroom" (p, 95).Thus, the core concept  of my research is how much CS between Arabic and English in EFL classroom in Saudi secondary schools  will facilitate the English learning and make the learning process more effective with regards to its functions, teachers and students attitudes towards using it, and with consideration of the EFL teaching policies in Saudi.

 2- Key words:

Code switching(CS),  English as a foreign language (EFL), First language (L1), mother tongue, Target Language.

                     3. The core concept, emerging themes, issues:

 A-What is the definition of Code Switching?

One of the most interesting  phenomena to researchers and students of bilingualism is CS which has arguably dominated the field. There have been contradictory views regarding the effect of CS on second language acquisition, negative views and positive views.There are three major strands in the study of CS and they are: the structural approach ; the psycholinguistic approach and the sociolinguistics approach (Bullock and Toribio, 2009). It has been  defined as " the ability on the part of bilinguals to alternate effortlessly between their two languages  (Bullock and Almeida, 2009). Gumperz  define it as “the juxtaposition within the same speech exchange of passages of speech belonging to two different grammatical systems or subsystems”(1982, p, 59). As well as Cook (2001) refer to it as "going from one language to the other in mid- speech when both speakers know the same languages" as cited in (Behera, 2012, p, 83). With regards of  the context of Foreign Language classroom, CS means the alternate use of the first language and the target language, as a means of communication by language teachers when they need to do this (Nannapaneni Siva Kumar and Narendra, 2012).

Functions and Attitudes towards Code Switching

                     B- Main themes, argument,issues:

1- Teachers use of CS and their attitudes toward it

Teachers of English as a foreign language  usually assert that they did not like use code-switching in the language classroom for many reasons; one of which is that they must only use the target language in the classroom (Ibrahim, Shah, &  Armi, 2013). However, Krieger reveals that the "first language usage in the foreign language classroom is sometimes indispensable" ( as cited in Mujiono,  Poedjosoedarmo,  Subroto,  and   Wiratno, 2013, p. 62). Moreover, teachers look at CS as an important tool in English classroom (Then and Ting, 2011).  

 2- students use of code switching and their attitudes toward it:

The CS  used can attracted the students' attention and helps to maintain the planned structure of the class, as found by Greggio and Gil (2007) as cited by (Then and Ting, 2011). However, some learners preferred an English-only classroom, because they thought this will give them motivations to  communicate  in L2 and challenge the difficulties they may face (Sampson, 2012).  

3-Functions of code switching:

According to Gumperz (1982), there are six functions of Code Switching: quotation, 

addressee specification, repetition, interjection, message qualification and personification. 

While, according to Sert (2006), the function of teachers Code Switching in the classroom  differs from that of students. Moreover, some research found that  code-switching is used in some classrooms by the participants to achieve some pedagogical goals ( Alshammari, 2011)

F- The policies of teaching English as a foreign language:

In Saudi the socio-cultural settings of English-language and English-medium classrooms is  bilingual  as both learners and teachers bring their identities and home-community sociolinguistic practices into the classroom, this situation can viewed as  "problems". According to Jenkins "proponents maintain that teachers must be inflexible in prohibiting the use of L1 because L1 usage interferes with L2 acquisition" (2010, p, 459). While, in other countries  where policy-makers and other stakeholders have realised the importance of using CS in English classrooms have  legitimised its use as well as the identities and practices of both teachers and students are considered  as “resources” (Saxena, 2009).

                                                   3. Key arguments:

A- Arguments for:

Some experts advocate that in certain ways CS may facilitate English language learning. Also, they claim that CS is a natural phenomenon in EFL classroom where both teachers and students share the same language (Then and Ting, 2011). Gumperz (1983) reveals that CS could be seen as an important discourse strategy for bilinguals. As well as it  can considered  as  a useful method in English classroom interaction (Bista, 2010). In addition, the use of CS  as a communicative resource could  facilitate learning when students lack proficiency in the language of instruction (Then and Ting, 2011).

The Relationship between Code Switching and Language Learning

B- Arguments Against:

 Some researchers argue that the use of code-switching can  affects  the learners acquisitions  of the

target language (Nannapaneni Siva Kumar, & Narendra, 2012). According to Skiba (1997) Teachers' code- switching in the language classroom can led to students overuse of it which could result in loss of target language fluency in students (Sert, 2005) as citied in (Then and Ting, 2011).

                                            4-Work in progress 

1- -The study of code switching from the perspective of the Saudi EFL classroom seems very limited.

2- The use of CS in language classrooms has some valuable advantages.

3-Teachers need to be aware of how much CS  they should used in EFL classrooms.

4-. Little studies have  been done on the  students attitudes toward using CS and  the impact of it on their learning process.

5- The overuse of students first language in an English class may compromise learning the target language / the foreign language.

6-More research should be done on Code switching between Arabic and English in EFL classrooms.  

References

 Alshammari, M. M. (2011). The use of the mother tongue in Saudi EFL classrooms. Journal of          

                                 International Education Research, 7(4), 95-102

Behera, A. K. (2012). Code switching and some of Its factors. Asian Academic Research Journal 

                               of Multidisciplinary, 1(2), 82-86

 Bista, K. (2010). Factors of code switching among bilingual English students in the university     

                              classroom: A Survey. English for Specific Purposes World, 29 (9), 1-19  

Bullock, B. E., &  Toribio, A, J.,. (2009). The Cambridge Handbook of Linguistic Code-switching.   

                    Cambridge Handbooks in Language and Linguistics

                    ISBN: 9780511507199  

 Gumperz, J. (1982). Discourse Strategies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 

Ibrahim, E. H. E., Shah, M. I. A.,  &  Armi, N. T., (2013). Code-Switching in English as a foreign  

                     language classroom: Teachers' attitudes. English Language Teaching, 6(5), 139-150

 Jenkins, S. (2010). Monolingualism: an uncongenial policy for Saudi Arabia's low-level learners. 

                  ELT Journal, 64(4), 459-461

                   doi:10.1093/elt/ccq014

 Moghadam, S. H., Samad, A. A., & Shahraki, E. R. (2012). Code switching as a medium of  

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                       doi:10.4304/tpls.2.11.2219-2225

 Mujiono,  Poedjosoedarmo, S., Subroto, E.,  and   Wiratno, T.,  (2013).Code Switching in English   

                        as Foreign Language Instruction Practiced by the English Lecturers at Universities,    

                                  International Journal of Linguistics, 5 (2), 46-65

 Nannapaneni Siva Kumar, M.A., M.B.A., & Narendra, M. (2012). A study of code switching in     

                          relation to ESL. Language in India, 12, 57-63

 Sampson, A. (2012). Learner code-switching versus English only. ELT Journal, 66(3),  293-303

                     doi:10.1093/elt/ccr067

 Saxena, M. (2009). Construction & deconstruction of linguistic otherness: Conflict & cooperative  

                          code-switching in (English/) bilingual classrooms,  English Teaching: Practice and     

                         Critique, 8(2), 168-187

                 http://education.waikato.ac.nz/research/files/etpc/files/2009v8n2art8.pdf   

Sert, O. (2006). The factors of code switching in ELT classrooms. The Internet TESL Journal. 

          Retried from: from http://iteslj.org/Articles/Sert-CodeSwitching.html.  

Skiba, R. (1997). Code Switching as a countenance of language interference. The Internet TESL     

                 Journal, III(10)

                  Retrieved from  http://www.aitech.ac.jp/_itselj/.

 Then, D, Ch.,  and Ting,S. (2011). Code-switching in English and science classrooms: more than translation. 

                     International Journal of Multilingualism, 8(4), 299-323