People use different codes or languages to communicate in different settings. They often choose their codes carefully, depending on the nature of the information that they want to communicate. These choices result in an individual switching between codes to make the communication process affective. Thus, analyzing and understanding the impacts of code switching is important for communication experts to provide future guidance on the use of code switching. Although an individuals’ choice of different communication codes is significant when describing people and their societies, switching of codes faces various challenges that lessen the practice’s effectiveness.
How and Why People Change Codes
People change codes through various ways. First, they change codes through the intersentential switching. They do this by changing the codes after complete sentences and clauses in a particular language before switching to another language. Besides, they can switch codes through intra-sentential switching by using different languages in the same sentence or phrase. Moreover, people can resort to tag switching and intra-word switching (Acar 3). All these methods of code switching ensure that the speakers deliver their messages accurately and that their message is useful to the intended receiver.
Additionally, people may change codes for various reasons. In most cases, their principal reason is to fit into a particular group (Sert 2). They can do this knowingly or unknowingly. Either way, this helps them to blend in a new environment and prevents their rejection by the host. For instance, teenagers often change their accents, greetings, and vocabulary to seem cool and blend with their fellow teenagers. These actions improves their peers’ approval and makes them accepted by their peer groups.
Significance of Code Switching
Additionally, code switching is an important tool of communication. The style enables students to understand the importance of their native language and dialect to the learning process. For example, foreign students can use code switching to demonstrate to their teachers and local American students how their native language expressions are. Moreover, code switching promotes language diversity in the classrooms (Acar 2). This diversity is important to the students since the different language varieties make the students to gain linguistic adaptation abilities. Thus, this proves the importance of code switching to students’ education.
Furthermore, the style improves the learning experience of students. This is through the usefulness of code switching in genres such as poems. Code switching is significant since the style causes a lyrical, dramatic and humorous effect that interests the students. Additionally, the technique is also useful when poets describe ironical situations, express solidarity with a particular group and provide political and social commentary. These illustrations prove the need for an in-depth analysis and understanding of code switching in communication.
Challenges of Code Switching
Despite the benefits that one may attach to code switching, it faces many challenges that limit the style’s effectiveness. For instance, there is stigma that the educated class of Americans associate to using African American English. The majority of American employers associate the words from African American English to poor education and indecency. This makes the employers to prefer hiring employees who speak the Standard American English to those who speak the African American English. Thus, the native African American English speakers avoid using the local dialect in their work places for fear of discrimination by their fellow employees.
Similarly, code switching puts a section of students in a disadvantaged situation. Particularly, this applies in classrooms with non-native students (Sert 5). Although the students who change codes intend to promote information flow when communicating, the students encourage division in the classes through favoring the native speakers. Besides, Sert states that they risk losing fluency in the long run (Sert 4). These effects encourage the use of one language when communicating.
Classification of Communication Codes in the Society
Different classes in the society have diverse codes to help them communicate among each other. The codes are specific to their groups and assist the groups to identify their members. For example, society members who subscribe to Christian faith mostly switch codes by exclaiming through words such as ‘Jesus’ and ‘Oh my God!’, while those of Muslim religion use terms such as ‘Mashallah’ and ‘Allahu akbar’. Thus, despite the difference in the two the members are able to identify and express themselves to their colleague with ease.
Apart from societal groups, the choice of words when switching codes communicates a lot about an individuals’ behavior. Curse words and modern slangs portray one as a violent person. Contrarily, using English words such as please, brother, and sister when switching codes with another language describes an individual as a kind person. Although the speakers switch codes to improve on the clarity of their message, the words that they chose to use when switching codes communicate a lot about their behaviors. Therefore, the code switching process does not distort the intended meaning, but improved the communication process.
Personally, the codes tell much about me. From my choice of words, my humility manifests significant details in the word choices that I use to switch codes. Often, I use terms such as ‘bruh’ and ‘buddy’ to show my allegiance to my simple past and previous neighborhood. Although the words demonstrate my humble background, they do not indicate my level of education. This is because the words only provide a sense of belonging.
Unique Things about the Communication Codes
The African American English has a different phonology compared to other forms of American English. The accent has a characteristic devoicing and minimal use of diphthongs and fricatives. The devoicing mostly happens to sounds /b/, /d/ and /g/. Equally important, the code changes diphthongs such as /ai/ to monophthongs such as /a:/, while fricatives are absolutely avoided. This gives a detailed account of how the African American English is different from other English forms.
The communication code also has a characteristic negation. This communication code creates negation in a different manner from other English forms. For example, African American English uses the word ain’t to show a general negation indicator. Conversely, other varieties of English prohibit the use of the word ain’t to replace terms such as ‘don’t’, ‘doesn’t’, and ‘didn’t’. Therefore, the communication code uses different principles to form various words.
Despite it challenges, people switch codes to enhance communication. Most idndividuals mainly change codes to blend in new environment and avoid rejection. This shapes their choice of words when swithing codes for their intentions to be fruitful and form connections with the target groups. Moreover, the words describe the individuals and their societies. They give a description of the individuals character in addition to representing the individuals socieatal class. The communication style also faces various challenges that lessens the practice’s effectiveness in communication. This includes issues such as stigma and grammatical constraint that result from prolonged switching of codes by the speakers. Therefore, this necessitates the importance of controlled use of code switching in communications.
Works Cited
Acar, Ergi. “Erstmal-Fast (Early Steps in Mathematics Learning-Family Study).” Proceedings of CERME, vol. 7, 2011, pp.1-10, http://www.cerme7.univ.rzeszow.pl/WG/13/CERME7_WG13_Acar.pdf. Accessed 11 March. 2017.
Sert, Olcay. “The Functions of Code-Switching in ELT Classrooms.” Online Submission, vol. 11 no. 8, 2005, pp. 1-6. http://iteslj.org/Articles/Sert-CodeSwitching.html. Accessed 11 March. 2017.
