Have you ever chatted with a bilingual friend when they effortlessly dropped in a word or phrase from another language, and you wanted to be able to do that yourself? This is code-switching in action, which is among the most visible and most misunderstood sociolinguistic phenomena. Part of truly immersing yourself in a language is seeing how native speakers navigate dual-language interactions with code-switching. Clarify the three types of code-switching for yourself to build navigation skills between languages and sharpen your bilingual communication.
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Definition of code-switching
To be precise, code-switching is defined as “the alternating or mixed use of two or more languages, especially within the same discourse.” In other words, it means reacting to your situation by going from speaking in one language or dialect to including another. This can be done to “fit in,” to look like you belong to a certain sociolinguistic group, or just as an emotional response when you want to stop translating in your head.
While this can be a conscious decision, many people code-switch on a daily basis without realizing it. Imagine someone speaking English and inserting a Spanish phrase while conversing with their Latin-American friends. This is an example of code-switching, and there are a few ways this can be seen in social interactions.
What linguists mean by ‘code’
Linguists call something a “code” if it’s any organized system of communication used to convey meaning. This can refer to a:
- full language
- dialect or subdialect
- specialized register within a language
When a language system has its own, distinct set of grammar rules and a unique lexicon, that’s a “code.” This means going from speaking formally to using slang terminology is often not considered code-switching, because you’re only using one language. Both the formal and informal speech use the same grammar rules, and mostly share the same list of words.
However, separate languages, like English, Spanish, Hindi, and so on, all have their own grammar and terminology. So if you’re speaking with your grandmother from Japan in English and include a phrase in Japanese to make your message clearer to her, you’re using two “codes,” which are the English and Japanese languages.
Early foundations of code-switching
The term “code-switching” was first coined by sociolinguist Hans Vogt in 1953 in his article Language Contacts. He noticed that bilingual or trilingual people who switched between their known languages weren’t necessarily doing so out of a lack of competency. Rather, it was a form of social awareness and intelligence.
Other linguists, such as Einar Haugen, carried this understanding forward, defining code-switching as a structured and systemic phenomenon, not an accidental occurrence. Researchers found that switching between codes was, more often than not, linked to social context, personal identity, and group membership. This laid the groundwork for modern research on bilingual education and the inner workings of language contact.
3 types of code-switching
There are three main types of code-switching used in the modern world: inter-sentential switching, intra-sentential switching, and tag switching. Understanding the differences between the three can help you identify code-switching more easily and boost your understanding of how to code-switch for yourself to better respond to social situations.
Inter-sentential switching
“Inter-sentential” is a fancy term that simply means “between sentences or clauses.” Therefore, inter-sentential switching refers to code-switching that is done after a natural boundary, like the end of a sentence or clause, or after a conversational pause. This means the rules of one code do not need to be managed as you switch to the other code.
In the example below, the speaker is going from an English sentence to a Spanish sentence. It reflects the speaker’s ability to maintain grammatical and semantic accuracy across both languages.
- I didn’t see Maria at the meeting yesterday. ¿Sabes dónde estaba? (Do you know where she was?)
Intra-sentential switching
When words from one language are peppered into a sentence of another language, and you have to balance the rules of both codes, that’s intra-sentential switching. Structurally, intra-sentential switching is more complex than inter-sentential switching because it requires the speaker to respect the grammar and rules of both languages simultaneously.
You’ll often hear intra-sentential switching performed in bilingual conversations where certain words lack a proper translation in the other language or a concept is easier to convey in one language than it is in the other. For example, the speaker below uses an expression from French to fill a conceptual gap in their English conversation.
- It’s hard to explain, it’s that feeling of ne pas être à sa place dans le monde (not belonging in the world).
Tag switching
Tag switching involves the insertion of a short phrase, known as a “tag,” from one language into an expression that is entirely in another language. The tag doesn’t affect the grammar of the main sentence, making it distinct from intra-sentential switching. This type of code-switching is generally easier to perform cognitively because it doesn’t restructure the main sentence.
- Dios mío (my god), what have you done? (Spanish tag in an English sentence)
- Oh cool, Il a une Lamborghini (he has a Lamborghini). (English tag in a French sentence)
How polyglots use code-switching in daily interactions
For people who regularly switch between multiple languages, like a polyglot, code-switching is more of a social or occupational must than it is an accident or tool. It’s a pragmatic strategy to optimize communication. A polyglot can also code-switch during conversation as a means of solidarity, aligning themself more closely from a social standpoint with their audience.
Why would you code-switch? Potential benefits
When done correctly in some contexts, the benefits of code-switching include being able to express ideas more effectively and precisely. Certain cultural references, terms, emotions, and other experiences can be more accurately communicated in some languages than others, making code-switching highly beneficial to communication in bilingual groups.
Social standing can also be improved with the proper use of code-switching. It allows the speaker to more closely align themselves with a certain identity or cultural belonging. Studies from Cambridge University show that regular use of code-switching can even improve cognitive flexibility for physical benefits that match the social ones.
The drawbacks of code-switching
Despite its benefits, code-switching can reduce communicative effectiveness. In conversations where part of the audience doesn’t speak both languages being used, code-switching can lead to confusion and ultimately interrupt the flow of the interaction. In formal contexts, like academics or business, code-switching can be misinterpreted as a sign of a lack of linguistic mastery over the subject matter in the main language being used.
Phrases that aren’t quite code-switching, but close
The complexities of true code-switching create some nuance that people conflate with other, related phrases that are similar but not identical. Because this confusion can make it difficult to recognize intentional code-switching by a bilingual speaker, it’s important to clarify the distinctions.
How code mixing differs from code-switching
Code mixing is largely unintentional. It comes from either a lack of understanding of one or both languages being used, like forgetting a word or phrase in one language and substituting for another, or out of habit of calling something a term from one’s native language. Because the speaker is improvising or borrowing from another language out of necessity, code mixing often violates the grammatical rules of one or both codes being used.
The terms “code mixing” and “code-switching” are often used interchangeably, but they’re two distinct concepts. Mainly, the differences lie in your intention. Code-switching is done because someone wants to express themselves using the tools another language affords them, and is accomplished while respecting the grammar rules of both codes.
Understanding code-switching vs. register shifting
Plenty of languages around the world, such as German, Thai, and French, have different registers within them. These registers help adapt conversation to concepts, like the level of formality or familiarity between the communicators.
While shifting between these registers is, undeniably, a reaction to a social context just like code-switching is, the key difference is that register shifting occurs entirely in one language or “code.” This makes it distinct from code-switching, which requires the use of two or more languages within a conversation.
Language contact points
Language contact points occur whenever speakers of two codes interact on a regular, even daily, basis. As the two groups converse, terms, idioms, and even whole phrases can be exchanged and incorporated across the two language systems. Where this happens is known as a “language contact point.” While language contact points encourage code-switching, they’re a distinct concept from code-switching itself.
These points of interlinguistic overlap aren’t just geographic; they can also be in online spaces. Social media, online gaming, international business calls, and more make up a large part of modern language contact points. As the overlap between language systems grows ever larger, the necessity for code-switching between these systems waxes proportionally. In short, language contact points encourage code-switching, but are a separate phenomenon.
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