A PRAGMATIC AND SYNTACTIC ANALYSIS OF TEACHER CODE-SWITCHING IN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL ESL

CLASSROOM OF BNHS

CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Introduction

The current trend of treating English as the language of Globalization had

resulted into numbers of bilingual communities (Bernardo, 2005) accommodating both

their native and other auxiliary dialects and English in discourse and communication

which revolved and operated around various social aspects; politics, business and

education.

Hamer and Blanc (2000) further explained that the development of bilingual

communities cannot be considered independently with its society. Thus, suggesting that

the development of language and bilingualism was a part and parcel of the socialization

process. Furthermore, proposing that this mental phenomenon must be examined and

analyzed using the framework of the society and the culture where it was developed.

Language was always related to context (Scaruffi, 2001) and there will be no

speech without context, and variation of context means change in the meaning and

function of a discourse style. This relationship between culture and language were

presented and advanced in Whorf’s (1956) hypothesis that the structure and nature of

language used by the particular cultural group reflected the way people behave, think and

ascribe meaning. Hence, the exposure of mankind to one or more languages with their

capabilities to adapt and manipulate languages with their intelligence was a phenomenon

in which were existing in various forms and practices and in different contexts,

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establishing various functions and importance in developing and reinforcing

sociolinguistic processes.

This phenomenon directed the dynamics of linguistic discourse which enabled

language to correspond with diversity of culture and identity. An example of such was

regarded as code- switching or code mixing which became a natural conversational

strategy in a bilingual speech.

Code switching (CS) or code- mixing was the used of two or more linguistic

varieties in the same conversation, inclusive of dialect changes and style changes (Cheng

2003, p1)

Moreover, Code- switching according to Poplack (2004) was an utterance-

internal juxtaposition, in unintegrated form, of overt linguistic element from two or more

languages, where bilingual switches occur intra-sententially at certain (morpho) syntactic

boundaries or tendencies of CS occurrence within the sentence. Poplack (1980) used to

describe these syntactic boundaries occurring in both languages as “Equivalence

Constraints” which stated that switch sentences were made of linked fragments of

alternating language, each was a grammatical in the language of its source.

The Philippines, with its diverse ethnicity and cultural ways was a bilingual

country and used the codes of both Tagalog and English as well as other provincial

dialects in everyday discourses. Bautista (2004) ventured on the features and discourse

function of Tagalog-English switch or any language shift occurring in the Philippine

context in both deficient and proficient switches done by Overseas Filipino Workers

(OFW). However, as researchers laid foundation on the pragmatic function of code-

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switching in the society, still there was much inquiry about the role of code switching in

the educational process, where code-switching was still viewed as corruption of both

Filipino and English and not as a tool to reinforce and facilitates learning.

During the early studies on code-switching, it was discovered that this approach

in language teaching was considered least favorable and acceptable by teachers and

educational policy makers (Ramirez and Milk, 1986, in McSwan, 1999, p.4). While

people’s attitude towards code-switching have been undesirable, code-switching, until

recently, had imposed itself as the standard of language used in most bilingual

community and institutions.

Moreover, Bernardo (2005) claimed that CS was a strategic use of the various

linguistic resources available to both teachers and students to achieve their ultimate goal

of learning. The use of code-switching was viewed as a creative pragmatic approach

which can facilitate language learning and achievement in a bilingual or multi-lingual

education communities. According to him, CS empowered teachers’ and students’

efficacy in both languages resulting into more productive classroom communication.

In a study conducted by Yusuf (2009), which examined pedagogic code-switching

of Malaysian multilingual classrooms using the framework of Rayfield (1970), Gumperz

(1982) and Jacobson and Osman (1987) whom studied the social meaning of code-

switching and classified types of code-switching into conversational functions, attested

that CS was communally indispensable and crucial in teaching and learning process in a

bilingual classroom. Teacher code-switching in this situation operates from simple

learning encouragement, attention establishing and clarifying messages in facilitating

further comprehension on the topic discussed.

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There was much of debate in the functions of code-switching situated in the

educational speech community. Code-switching for some marginalized its speakers

putting them into domains of language determined but for others like Lee (2012)

challenges this notions of direct method or “English Only” policy in an English class by

suggesting that code-switching enhanced communicative approach of teaching as it

allowed teachers and students to communicate their identity as bilinguals, employing

functions pedagogic code-switching to guide learning and empower speakers to use

proficiently both their native language and their second in various speech situations.

Statement of the Problem

There were vast inquiries on the benefits and conversational functions of Code-

Switching in the Filipino bilingual English classrooms, hence the investigations of

teacher’s effectiveness in the use of language is to facilitate language learning. It was in

the light that Sinclair and Coulthard (1970) developed a model of educational discourse

analysis which examined the communicative attributes of teacher’s lessons, transactions,

exchanges and acts, and categorized these classroom interactions according to their

communicative and pedagogical utility.

In view of this, the following questions will be answered:

1. Do Senior High School English Teachers code-switch in classrooms?

2. How does these switches be classified as:

2.1 Intrasentential code-switching

2.2 Intersentential code-switching

2.3 Extrasentential code-switching

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3. What are the pedagogical discourse functions/categories of Teacher code mixes in

an ESL classes?

4. What are the most and least used functions of teacher code switches?

Significance of the Study

Code-switching amidst adverse attitudes of its user/s, still imposed

numerous constructive results of its utility in the study of bilingual education in

the Philippines, which implied that a study on its pragmatic uses enabled bilingual

societies to consciously accept and materialize the inevitability of the

phenomenon. Thus, this paper of Pragmatic and Syntactic construing of Teacher

code switches and its findings were intended to benefit the following:

Teachers. As the main participant of this study, instructors and teachers were highly

benefitted with 21st century assumptions of various methods regarding bilingual

education, enabling them to handle bilingual classes with ease and employ

communicative, interactive and purposeful lessons and instructions.

Language Education Administrators. This paper can attribute in 21st century studies of

classroom discourse, in particular with pedagogic discourse; and scientific

assumptions of language functions in academic speech community and speech

situations, achieving goals of education and eradicating biases of marginalization

by language use. Moreover, the paper can be best used in enhancing present

educational policies to welcome change and empower bilinguals to achieve higher

order and authentic task preparing students in a more Globalized world.

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Future Researchers. Finally, the result of this study will be beneficial to future

language education researchers in order to achieve common goals. It will also serve as

reference to the other researchers who will be conducting the same or related topic

regarding Filipino Bilingualism and Pragmatic analysis of code switching, principally in

educational context.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

Borlongan (2012) in her article “Reflecting on the Use of Code-Switching in

Philippine Education Today” highlighted the arguments of Bernardo (2005) that Filipino

bilingualism and code-switching should not be treated as a liability in teaching English as

a Second Language but as a tool in allowing and empowering diverse agents to best

employ various proficiencies in specific learning episodes and contexts.

Therefore, this paper intended to investigate the didactic function and validate

actuality of teacher code switching using Sinclair and Coulthard’s framework of

classroom discourse and Poplack’s framework of syntactical “equivalence constrained”

code-switching in Senior High School English as Second Language (SHS-ESL) program

of Bataan National High School (BNHS) and determined its role in facilitating Language

learning.

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Notes in Chapter 1

Bernardo, A. (2005). Bilingual Code switching as a Resource for Learning and

Teaching: Alternative Reflections on the Language and Education
Issue in the Philippines. De La Salle University, 1-20.

Hamers, J., & Blanc, M. (2000). Bilinguality and Bilingualism. (2nd Ed.).
Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Poplack, S. (2004). Code Switching: Soziolinguistik an International handbook of the

Science of Language. (2nd ed.), 1-3.

Poplack, S. (1980). Sometimes I'll start a sentence in Spanish, Y Termino Espanol:

Toward a Typology of Code-switching. Language in Society, 7 (1).

Bautista, M. L. (2004). Tagalog-English Code Switching as a Mode of Discourse. Asia

Pacific Education Review, 5 (2), 1-8.

Yusuf, Y. (2009). A Pragmatics Analysis of a Teacher's Code-switching in a Bilingual

Classroom. The Linguistic Journal, 4 (2).

Cockayne, M. (2010). Applying the Sinclair and Coulthard model of discourse analysis to
a student-centered EFL classroom. Centre for English Language Studies.

Borlongan, A. (2012). Reflecting on the Use of Code-switching in Philippine Education

Today. TESOL Journal, 7, 78-80. Retrieved from http://www.tesol-
journal.com

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CHAPTER 2
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Relevant Theories

This chapter presents the relevant theories operant in the process of academic

code switching. Correspondingly, related literatures and studies that have proven

significant in the research’s problem and have supported the assumptions of this paper.

2.1 Relevant Theories

The Threshold Theory of Bilingualism proposed by Cummins (1982) expounded

the levels of proficiency that bilinguals had to undergo in order to effectively shift from

one language code into another. The same theory was used in the study of Bautista (2005)

where the paper explained that Overseas Filipino Workers’ (OFW) code-switches can be

a Deficient code-switching, where speakers code-switch to fill-in the gap of their L2, or

Proficient code-switching or the phenomenon brought by efficacy on both L1 and L2, yet

shifted in both codes to exhibit sociolinguistic functions.

Another approach to code-switching was seen in the hypotheses of Blom and

Gumperz (1972) where they defined code-choice as predictable patterns and constraints

brought by situational and topical shift. They introduced the terms, Situational code-

switching and Metaphorical code-switching, where situational code-switching were

switches which were accompanied by change of participant or strategy such as elicitation

or social situation which opened a discussion. Metaphorical code-switching, on the other

hand, occurred while changing a topic.

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(Halliday, 1978), in his theory of Discourse function mentioned that language

choice was affected by situational determinants, or situational factors influencing

language choice in speech. Also, Holmes and Wardhaugh (1992) supported this notion

and drawn situational categories such as participants, topic, setting and function;

affecting language code shift among bilinguals.

Myers-Scotton (1993) socio-pragmatic principles of “Markedness code-

switching” was a representation of social motivations for CS which means that speakers

used the possibility of making code choices to negotiate interpersonal relationships, and

by extension to signal their perceptions or desires about group memberships. In addition,

speakers had used their linguistic choices as tools to index for others their perceptions of

self, and of rights and obligations holding between self and others. In turn, as in any

negotiation, others can agree with or dispute the socio-pragmatic goals of such linguistic

moves.

Furthermore, Sinclair and Coulthard’s Initiation-Response-Follow-up (IRF)

model of classroom discourse; anchored from Hallidayan theory of Discourse functions,

greatly influenced the studies of the conversational roles of code-switching in an ESL

classrooms. IRF model categorized teacher interactions and discourse into hierarchical

ranks, as Lessons, Transactions, Exchanges, Moves and Acts, where various acts

constitutes in the whole lesson and variety of instructional or pedagogical speech acts

mark the existence of code-switching.

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Related Literature

Sociocultural utility of Bilingualism and Code-switching

Battaglia (2018) explained in a commentary titled “The article that change my

view of how Bilingualism can improve society.” His experience of realizing that being a

bilingual was an opportunity to see another world not only another perspective of the

world. The eye-opener article that he had been reading is Tobia’s Jones “The Joys and

Benefits of Bilingualism”. He further argued that bilingualism affected the world’s

connection and sharing of experiences.

In an Internet blog, “How Code-switching explains the World, Dembi (2013) look

into the micro-perspective on how code-switching operated in everyday interpersonal

endeavours. Furthermore, he explained that when we code-switch or a speaker code-

switch, we were subtly and reflexively change the way we express ourselves, and when

attuned in this kind of situation we tend to see it everywhere, and you begin to see the

way race, ethnicity and culture plays out all over the place. Dembi (2013) gave enough

examples to prove that code-switching shapes the way people live, let us take the

example of Pop cultures, Advertisements, TV programs, even an example of How

Former- American President Barack Obama use code-switching when speaking on an

informal occasion.

Thus, in the Philippine setting, Cook (2018) delved on the utility of code-

switching in Philippine newspapers. In either print or internet-based media, the Philippine

news context utilized code-switching to capture the context and reflect the local dialogue.

In addition to persuading local readers, code-switching had also allowed the world to

better understand the context of the Philippines.

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Code switching models and issues in classroom context

Domalewska (2017) stated several reasons why teachers turned into L1-L2 or

mother tongue- Target language instruction inside a Content Language Integrated

Learning classrooms in Thailand. First, learners have low language proficiency of L2 as a

result complex content must be delivered materializing the student’s native-language

schemata.

Ramos (2010) reflecting the dynamics of Cebuano- English code switching in

academic discourse found out that Filipino or English alone were not enough to facilitate

teaching of non-Tagalog learners. Other auxiliary languages of the Philippines switched

or mixed with English became a productive tool in nourishing and nurturing students to

learn in the province of their own identity. English-Cebuano switches showed the identity

of the particular speech community which was a great leap in promoting identity in

teaching and learning language and literature.

In an article titled “To switch or not to switch: Code switching in a Multilingual

Country,” Shay (2015) delved into debates that code switching may or may not impose

negative effects on second or foreign language learners. (E.g. Chaudron, 1988;

Lightbown, 2001) additionally, some scholars believed that students were not required to

understand everything that was discussed to them. For them, shifting to L1 undermined

learning and teaching entirely in TL benefited the students most by making the language

real. However, in the perspective of teachers, code-switching was unconscious

phenomenon and therefore teachers were not aware of the functions and outcomes of the

code-switching process. Yet, whether teachers consciously or unconsciously switched

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into language codes, it was unavoidably that code-switching was beneficial in any

language learning environments.

In addition, similar dilemma of code-switching being boon or bane was ventured

by Garcines and Alvarez (2017), they explained that teachers employed code-switching

for the sake of student understanding, at the same time students also preferred the use of

code switching to clearly understand the lesson, and freely expressed themselves.

Learning was achieved in the light of the code-switching practices. However, if

used over excessively, it may compromise L2 acquisition. Hence, argued that code-

switching in class was both a boon and a bane. It is a boon, if used appropriately and

purposefully by teachers and students, while on the other hand, it will be a bane strategy

in teaching English language if used in an overly manner.

A shift on perspective was seen in the article written by Nordin (2013), where it

focused on the attitudes of ESL learners towards code-switching in Malaysian

classrooms. Malaysian-English switch is widely acknowledge in the country’s

educational community and significantly affects learners’ disposition. Code-switching

was noted to reduce affective barriers among the teachers, their lessons and students thus,

thus indicating learners feel more comfortable and confident in understanding English

language if the instructors use code switching for teaching and learning purposes.

Related Studies

Foreign studies

Svendsen (2014) studied the phenomenon of code-switching and its connection on

the development of language in a second language class and found out that code-

switching does support oral language development in L2 class. She claimed that code-
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switching is a discussion strategy that contributes in the conversation and keep the

conversation abate. Moreover, using code-switching can be beneficial to low-proficiency

students who prefer the use of their L1 in discussion. Another, code-switching also yields

positive results when used in a Grammar lesson, students understand more when L1 is

employed in discussing grammar rules. However, Svendsen (2014) include in her paper

that code-switching should serve purpose and should not be a random process to make up

with a teacher-student deficiency.

Keller (2016) investigates in his paper “Code-switching in Teaching English in

the speakers of Other Language” strategies of Teaching English to non-native or non-

English speakers and discovered frameworks or categories and compiled it as a

guidebook for English teachers and learners, which analysed and described the various

applications of code-switching in an EFL teaching-learning process. He argue that

“English only” ESL/EFL class creates barriers between students and teachers and

students and themselves in communicative process and there is no single-style speaker in

English (or in any other language for that matter). Even speakers who live in relative

isolation display a range of speech styles – that is, they engage in what is known as style

shifting as a normal practice dependent upon factors including the speaking environment

and communication intent.

Asian studies of code-switching like Yusuf (2009) paper “A Pragmatic Analysis

of Teacher code-switching in a Bilingual classroom” attests code-switching occurrences

and categorized each into functional uses that are evident in a particular context, in this

paper, the bilingual classroom. In the study embodying the frameworks of Rayfield

(1970), Gumperz (1982) and Jacobson and Osman (1987), it has been proven that In this

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case, that the lecturer had performed various functions of code-switching so that his

students could fully understand the message that he wanted to deliver to them. In this

context, understanding the message is equal to the students knowing the content of his

lecture, specifically referring to the case studies that they would be conducting that

semester. The purposes of code-switching can be better understood in interactive

circumstances, in which diverse social variables are embedded.

Similar investigation of Teachers’ talk were seen in the case study of Bloom

(2008) “Pedagogic Code-switching: A case study of Language Practices of Three Content

Teachers”, where pedagogical utilities of code-switching are explored in a Content-based

Science classrooms of New York Mandarin-English bilinguals. The findings show that all

three teachers code-switch in their instructional practices. However, the frequency,

sentence condition, and pedagogic function of the switches varied, depending on the

teachers' perceptions of students' present and future needs, their chosen pedagogic style,

and their perceptions regarding their role as a bilingual teacher working within a

transitional program. The categories that materialized from the data on the pedagogic

functions of code-switching validate its pedagogic value and demonstrate how it, can be

used as a scaffolding device by other bilingual teachers confronted with two languages in

content-area instruction.

Another viewpoint of code-switching was presented by Cahyani (2015) in a study

of Indonesian code-switching in Tertiary bilingual classrooms. Comparable dilemma was

also dealt in the study, if code-switching impose deficiency or strategy in teaching second

or foreign languages. The study has provided affirmative view of code-switching in

teachers’ and learners’ practice. It argues that code-switching is not simply about

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language defect but is an active strategy to support learning. In the teachers’ case, the use

of code-switching is more for pedagogical scaffolding for learners, whereas learners took

code-switching as more of an interpersonal and sociocultural necessity as well as a way

to practice their language. The point is that linguistic competence, which the teachers and

students took as having high importance, became a less prominent reason for engaging in

code-switching.

Local studies

A case study was conducted locally by Wa-Mbaleka (2014), where she

investigates the circumstances of Philippine non-Tagalog English as second language

class. The rich linguistic features of the Philippine islands post challenge to both teachers

and learners of English language. In spite of the great success in teaching and learning of

English in the Philippines, there were still weaknesses and threats to its achievement.

Weaknesses involved teachers with limited English language proficiency and use solely

of mother-tongue languages in instruction when English is supposed to be used.

On the contrary, Bernardo (2005) put forth substantiations that shifting codes of

the TL and mother-tongue is a strategic resource of resolving language learning issues of

the country. Code-switching has been characterized by many Filipino educators as a

reflection of poor linguistic knowledge, however, Bernardo questioned the assumptions

of monolingualism that underlies this characterization by advancing the potentials of

bilingualism in the Philippine educational system. The research have shown how it is a

complex, rule-governed, and functionally specific activity that exhibits the linguistic

proficiency and facility of bilinguals. Finally, he argued that code-switching can be a

legitimate and effective resource for learning and teaching for bilingual students and

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teachers and allow both students and teachers to benefit from the use of this valuable

resource of developing, knowledge and understanding.

Furthermore, In a study conducted in De La Salle University by Cabanding

(2014) titled “Pedagogic Code-switching: its utility in the Philippine Bilingual

Classroom” using the Initiation-Response - Follow-up (IRF) model of Sinclair and

Coulthard, the paper found out that code-switching coexists with the various classroom

discourse acts that make up the whole pedagogic exchange. However, despite the

evidences of code-switching’s existence and positive outcome in the educational context,

teachers still have the long known bias towards the linguistic phenomenon, that code-

switching is deterioration of language skills and believe that using TL or English purely

is the best way to teach students the second language.

Another study from De La Salle University by Bautista (2004) ventured on the

function of code-switching, either from the two cases of CS: deficient and proficient as

mode of discourse and as a resistance to hegemonic tendencies of monolingualism and

globalization.

Aside from Language development of bilingual learners, code-switching also has

effects on Literacy skills or the reception and production of written language. The study

of Aquino (2012) focused on the effects of bilingual instruction on the acquisition of

literacy skills of pre-schoolers. An experimental design was used, with language of

instruction as the independent variable and the different literacy skills as dependent

variables. The findings of the paper has significant implications not only for literacy

instruction but for ESL teaching as well. First, results suggest a need to provide students

daily instruction in both languages for bilingual instruction to be effective. Also, findings

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implies that the kind of language used in beginning literacy instruction does have an effect on

the pre-schoolers’ literacy skills and that instruction is more effective in a language that the

children are more familiar with. Beginning literacy instruction study suggest that it is easier

for them to transfer such learning to their L2 if and when they are taught in this language.

Conceptual Framework

The framework of the study is patterned in the Initiation-Response-

Follow-up model of Sinclair and Coulthard, where code-switching occurrences in a

bilingual Senior High School English as Second Language classroom discourse were

treated as speech acts that constitutes to teacher’s pedagogy. These acts are then

categorized based on its pragmatic purposes and function and syntactical structure.

Frequency ranking of the categorized CS will determined its most to least materialized

function. Moreover, the study also encompasses the investigation of respondent’s attitude

towards their language shift and its utility in the operation of their ESL class.

Teacher's attitude
towards
Teacher Switching codeswitching
occurrences practices
Filipino-English
Code-switching
Bilingual SHS ESL Pedagogical function
Teachers of switches in
educational
pragmatics

Syntactical structure
of switches

Figure 1. The Conceptual Paradigm of the study

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Definition of Term

1. Bilingualism/ Bilingual – A native-like control of two languages (Bloomfield,

1953), in contrary to the definition which includes only ‘perfect bilinguals is

Macnamara (1967) who defined bilingualism as is anyone who possesses a

minimal competence in only one of the four language skills, listening

comprehension, speaking, reading and writing, in a language other than his

mother tongue.

2. Code-switching – the used of two or more linguistic varieties in the same

conversation, inclusive of dialect changes and style changes (Cheng 2003, p1)

3. Communicative Teaching Approach - an approach to teaching second language

acquisition originating in the work of Hymes (1972) and Firthian linguistics,

particularly that of Halliday (1973). It views language as a system for

communication with its direct goal to teach second language learners the ability to

communicate in the target language, extending language beyond grammatical

forms to include the functional and social conventions of language inherent in the

negotiation and progression of communication.

4. ESL- English as Second Language, is a language program that considers and

teaches English as the target language for second language acquisition.

5. Inter-sentential Switching - involves a switch between sentences and can occur by

the same speaker or between speaker turns.

6. Intra-sentential Switching - also referred to as code-mixing, occurs within the

clause or sentence boundary, and may even result in the mixing of languages

within word boundaries.

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7. Metaphorical Code-switching - involves a code change due to changes in topic or

subject matter though it may occur within the same participant framework. It thus

has an affective dimension that defines situations along informal-formal,

interpersonal-official, humorous-serious or boundaries reflecting in-group/out-

group solidarity.

8. Pedagogic Code-switching - is code-switching enacted for a pedagogic function

within the discourse of teachers and students during instructional time.

9. Pragmatic analysis – A discourse analysis that focuses on the rules and knowledge

of social and contextual interactions.

10. Situational Code-switching - occurs when a change in code is accompanied by a

change in participants and/or strategies, assuming a direct relationship between

language and the social situation.

11. Speech Act - an utterance defined by Austin (1962) and Searle (1969) which is

conceived as an act by which the speaker does something, including: informatives

representatives, directives, commissives, expressives and declarations.

12. Speech Community - is defined by a community's shared experiences and

practices of communication which develop set norms or rules for language use

among participating members.

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BATAAN PENINSULA STATE UNIVERSITY- DINALUPIHAN CAMPUS
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Notes in Chapter 2

Cummins, J. “Cognitive/Academic Language Proficiency, Linguistic Interdependence the

Optimum Age Question, and Some Other Matters," Working Papers on
Bilingualism, No. 19, October, 1982a.
Cummins, J. "Linguistic Interdependence and the Education Development of Bilingual
Children," Review of Educational Research, No. 49, spring, 1982b.
Gumperz, J. (1977). The Sociolinguistic Significance of Conversational Codeswitching.
RELC Journal Cambridge University.

Blom, J.P and Gumperz J. (1972). Social meanings in Linguistic Structure. In Gumperz
and Hymes (eds.) Directions in Sociolinguistics. New York: Holt, Rinchart, and
Winston.

Halliday, M.A.K. (1978) Language as social semiotic. The social interpretation of

language and meaning. London: Edward Arnold.
Wardhaugh, R. (1999). Proper English: Myths and Misunderstandings about Language.
Oxford: Blackwell.
Myers-Scotton C. & Jake J. (2013). Non-finite verbs and negotiating bilingualism in
Code switching: Implications for a language production model In Bilingualism:
Language and Cognition, (pp. 1-15). UK: Cambridge University Press.
Sinclair, J. & Coulthard, R.M. (1975). Toward an Analysis of Discourse. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Cook, E. (2018, March 26). The Splice Newsroom: How the Philippines media's use of
code switching stands apart in Asia. Retrieved from
http://www.thesplicenewsroom.com/philippines-code-switching-media

Battaglia, E. (2018, February 17). The Guardian: The article that change my view of
Bilingualism. Retrieved from
https://www.theguardian.com/membership/2018/feb/17/article-changed-my-view-
bilingualism-improve-society

Demby, G. (2013, April 8). CODESWITCH Race, Identity remixed: How codeswitching
explains the world. Retrieved from

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A PRAGMATIC AND SYNTACTIC ANALYSIS OF TEACHER CODE-SWITCHING IN SENIOR
HIGH SCHOOL ESL CLASSROOM OF BNHS
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https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/04/08/how-code-switching-
explains-the-world

Domalewska, D. (2017). Codeswitching in Content Language Integrated Learning

Classrooms in Thailand. Asian Journal of Education and e-learning, 5 (2), 36-41.

Garcines, J. V., & Alvarez, E. H. (2017). Humanities and Social Studies: Code-switching
Boon or Bane? (Vol. 4). Agusan Del Sur, PH: Sryahwa Publications.

Ramos, A. (2010). Dynamics of Code-switching in Academic Discourse. CNU Journal of

Higher Education, 4, 12-23.

Shay, O. (2015). To switch or not to switch: Code-switching in a multilingual country.

Elsevier Ltd.

Nordin, N. M., Ali, F. D., Safina, S., Zubir, S., & Sadjirin, R. (2013). ESL learner's
reactions towards code-switching in classroom settings. Petaling Jaya, MA:
Elsevier Ltd.

Svendsen, E. (2014). The influences of Code-switching in the Second Language

Classroom in Connection to Language Development. Engelska Och Larande.

Keller, G. (2016). Cide-switching in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Language.

Master's Projects and Capstones, University of San Francisco.

Yusuf, Y. Q. (2009). A Pragmatics Analysis of Teacher's Code-switching in a Bilingual

Classroom. The Linguistic Journal, 4 (2).

Cahyani, H. (2015). Code-switching in Indonesian tertiary bilingual classrooms: A

deficiency or a strategy. Published Dissertation of Doctor of Philosophy in
Division of Education, Arts, and Social Sciences, University of South Australia.

Wa-Mbaleka, S. (2014). Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages: The Case of

the Philippines. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive
Education and Development, 3 (3), 64-78.

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HIGH SCHOOL ESL CLASSROOM OF BNHS
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Bernardo, A. (2005). Bilingual Code switching as a Resource for Learning and
Teaching: Alternative Reflections on the Language and Education
Issue in the Philippines. De La Salle University, 1-20.

Cabanding, M. (2014). Pedagogic Code-switching: Its Utility in the Philippine Bilingual

Classroom.

Bautista, M. L. (2004). Tagalog-English Code Switching as a Mode of Discourse. Asia

Pacific Education Review, 5 (2), 1-8.

Aquino, L. (2012). The Effects of Bilingual Instruction on the Literacy Skills of Young
Learners. ELTWorld, 4.

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CHAPTER 3
METHODS OF RESEARCH

Research and Methodologies

In this study, the researchers employed the qualitative method of research which

involved looking in-depth perceptions at non-numerical data. The method was used to

elaborate understanding of the problem.

According to Gall, Borg and Gall (1996), qualitative research was considered as

an inquiry that was grounded in the assumption that individuals constructed social reality

in the form of meanings and interpretations, and that these constructions tended to be

transitory and situational. The purpose was to discover these implications and

interpretations by studying cases intensively in context subjecting the findings to analytic

and interpretative exploration.

The purpose of this research is to recognize the multifaceted representations of

human experience and the iterated relations within social, cultural and academic systems.

Furthermore, qualitative research is fixated on analyzing how people make sense

of their world with manipulation of different concepts and different expressions.

William Bruce Cameron (1963) stated, “Not everything that can be counted

counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. Qualitative research methods

provide an opportunity for a systematic, in-depth evaluation of a question that may not be

easily answered through quantitative methods.”

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Since this study was concerned with the Pragmatic and Syntactic analysis of

Teacher code-switches in Senior High School ESL classrooms the qualitative inquiry was

appropriate to use.

Population of the Study

The participants of the study are Senior High School teachers of Bataan National

High School handling English as Second Language classes like, Grammar, Writing,

Communication, Literature and Media arts. Looking into sociolinguistic vantage point,

the paper would study Teacher uttered code-switches adapting the categories of teacher’s

acts of Sinclair and Coulthard.’s framework of classroom discourse. The participants

were handling students whose threshold of L2 acquisition is expected to be in satisfactory

proficiency thus the paper wishes to look into the strategic functions of their code-

switches in the continuous development and maintenance of language competencies of

students.

Sampling Technique

The paper employed Total sampling Technique since the population of the study

is relatively small and the researchers’ unit of interest were Senior High School English

as Second Language Teachers who uses code-switching in handling and discussing in

bilingual classes. Since total population sampling involves the entire participants within

the population, the study has greater possibilities to get deep insights into the

phenomenon and a reduced risk of missing potential insights and enables the paper to

make analytical generalizations about the phenomenon being studied.

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BATAAN PENINSULA STATE UNIVERSITY- DINALUPIHAN CAMPUS
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Research Instrument

The instrument for the study is patterned after Bloom (2008) in her study

“Pedagogic Code-switching: A case study of language practices of three content

teachers” which investigated pedagogic functions of Mandarin-English code-switching.

Teacher CS were categorized into its conversational functions adapted from Sinclair and

Coulthard and Poplack’s Syntactic structure of CS. The following classroom speech acts

and syntactical structures were used to describe form and functions of teacher’s CS in the

classroom.

Description of Classroom Code-switching acts.

Functions when a teacher requests a linguistic response

ELICITATION

When the teacher provide related information.

INFORMATIVE

Switches occurs when a teacher request a non-linguistic

response.
DIRECTIVE

Function is to help the learners to see the structure of the

lesson, to help them understand succeeding exchange, and see
METASTATEMENTS where they are going, it also includes summary and reviews

Switches occurs delineating emotions, agreement and

frustrations, and tension.
EXPRESSIVES

An expressive switch that functions to express humorous

utterances and not to provide information. Also, it used to
break barriers between the teachers and the students, and to
HUMOR EXPRESSIVE
show empathy.

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Switches occur when offering positive or negative judgments

EVALUATIVE
or feedback.

Switches occur when answering a student’s initiated question

QUESTION-REPLY

Switches occurs when the teacher recasts and/or reformulates

what she/he or a student has already said.
RECASTS

Syntactical Structure of Code-switches

Switching occurs after a sentence in the

first language has been completed and the
INTERSENTENTIAL
next sentence starts with a new language
(Appel and Muysken 1987:118)

Also referred to as code-mixing, occurs

within the clause or sentence boundary, and
INTRASENTENTIAL
may even result in the mixing of languages
within word boundaries.

Inserting tags, or short phrases from other

TAG SWITCHES/EXTRASENTENTIAL language to the base language of the
speaker.

Preparation

Data were collected from transcripts of recorded Senior High School English

classes. Sentences containing code-switching utterances were tagged according to the

pragmatic functions presented in this paper. These expressions were color coded to

determine which CS functions were utilized. Frequency of CS acts used was also

computed and treated as basis to determine CS strategies employed by the participant

inside the class. Furthermore, semi-structured interview method were used to ask the

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BATAAN PENINSULA STATE UNIVERSITY- DINALUPIHAN CAMPUS
A PRAGMATIC AND SYNTACTIC ANALYSIS OF TEACHER CODE-SWITCHING IN SENIOR
HIGH SCHOOL ESL CLASSROOM OF BNHS
______________________________________________________________________________
teachers’ disposition on codes-witching and corroborate their linguistic practices

reflected in the data. Interview method is a research instrument wherein the subjects are

asked with a standard set of questions that are open-ended. Depending upon the subjects’

responses, additional questions are asked to satisfy the research specific problems.

The following are the Guide questions to be asked in the interview session of the study:

1. Do you code-switch during your English classes?

2. Do you permit your students to use code-switching in your class?

3. Do you think that Filipino Bilingualism is the reason why code-switching occurs?

4. What is your perspective about code-switching?

5. Do you think that there are benefits of using code-switching in classroom

discussions? What are those?

Data Analysis

Discourse data collected will be subjected into pragmatic and syntactic analysis

which will determine the form and function of Filipino-English code-switching practices

of Bilingual Senior High School ESL teachers of BNHS. Pragmatic analysis is a

discourse analysis which investigates higher unit-speech acts and conversation turns

within a particular contextual frame through recognition of speaker’s intention and the

implicit elements of the discourse orientation. ((Puig, 2003). Syntactic analysis on the

other hand is the construing of discourse phenomena in the sentence or syntax level, to

determine the form of discourse occurrences. Results of the study will be analyzed per

classroom teacher. The study does not intend to compare CS phenomenon of one class to

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BATAAN PENINSULA STATE UNIVERSITY- DINALUPIHAN CAMPUS
A PRAGMATIC AND SYNTACTIC ANALYSIS OF TEACHER CODE-SWITCHING IN SENIOR
HIGH SCHOOL ESL CLASSROOM OF BNHS
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another, rather validate the actuality of educational code-switching (CS) and scrutinize its

significance to classroom instruction.

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BATAAN PENINSULA STATE UNIVERSITY- DINALUPIHAN CAMPUS
A PRAGMATIC AND SYNTACTIC ANALYSIS OF TEACHER CODE-SWITCHING IN SENIOR
HIGH SCHOOL ESL CLASSROOM OF BNHS
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Notes to Chapter 3

Gall, M. D., Borg, W. R., & Gall, J. P. (1996). Educational Research: An

Introduction (6th Ed.). White Plains, NY: Longman.

Bloom, J. (2008) Pedagogic Codeswitching: A Case study of The Language Practices of

Three Bilingual Content Teachers. Teachers College, Columbia University, 75-76

Puig, M. (2003). Pragmatic and Discourse Analysis. Revista De Sociolinguistik, 1-9

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