Code Switching

Code-switching and Code-mixing : A Case Study of
Child Bilingualism in Iraq

By

Juliana D. Yousif

MA. In TEFL

Department of English
College of Arts
Basrah University
May, 1992

Code-switching and Code-mixing: A Case Study of
Child Bilingualism in Iraq

by: Juliana D. Yousif,University of Basra

Theoretical Background

Code-switching is a very interesting aspect of bilingualism that has recently received considerable attention from linguists. It is defined as "the use of more than one language by communicants in the execution of a speech act"(1) or "the alteration of two languages"( 2) or " the use of two or more linguistic varieties in the same conversation or interaction.”( 3)

The phenomenon of code-switching spreads widely among members of communi- ties of minority languages in a country whose official language is that of the majority.(4) It becomes especially common if the bilingual's language is similar to that of the larger group he/ she is living in. For example, code-switching is much more practiced between English and French than between English and Chinese.(5)

Code-switching can involve a word, a phrase, or a sentence; it can involve several sentences. This alternate use of items from two language systems in the same utter- ance begins early in bilingual children. The facility with which young bilingual learns to use the two languages simultaneously is astonishing.Besides.children’s code- switching is worthwhile studying since it is distinct from adult's code-switching in a number of ways. Recent research on bilingualism has already isolated these diff- rences. McClure(1977) shows that the Mexican Americans, who speak Spanish and English produce different types of code-switches depending on their age. Young children(below the age of nine)tend to put single items from one code into the other. The inserted items