University Students and Teachers' Attitudes Towards Code-Switching in The Classroom: The English Department As A Case Study

University Students and Teachers’ Attitudes towards
Code-Switching in the Classroom: The English
Department as a Case Study
A Monograph Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

Bachelor of Arts (Licence) in English Studies
Submitted by Mouad Fekkar
CNE: K138328039
Department of English, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, El Jadida
Supervised by Dr. Soufiane Abouabdelkader
May, 2021
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Abstract
Codeswitching—the case of switching between two languages during the course of a
conversation—has sparked much interest in the field of second language acquisition in general and
in foreign language instruction, in particular. Much debate has centered on the reasons for, and the
utility of, codeswitching in foreign language instruction. However, it has been noticed that CS has
not yet been explored intensively in higher educational institutions, particularly, in Morocco. In
this study, an effort was made to investigate the attitudes and functions of Code-switching to the
process of English language learning and teaching from students and teachers’ points of view. To
this end, 37 students and 15 teachers from the English department at Chouaib Doukkali University
responded to interviews questions on code-switching. The data from the questionnaire were
tabulated, and frequencies and percentages were conducted by the SPSS program. The analysis of
the answers revealed that more than half of the students code-switch in the classroom. Moreover,
the analysis of the data revealed certain disparities and commonalities in relation to the participant
teachers and students’ attitudes towards the application of this sociolinguistic phenomenon in EFL
classes. It is found that the majority of teachers and students have positive attitudes towards code-
switching, as its strategic use by teachers serves a means of fulfilling both pedagogical and social
functions. For this reason, it is suggested that code-switching can be regarded as one of the
encouraging and effective educational practices to be deployed in the context of higher education.
Keywords: code-switching; EFL classroom; SLA; Higher educational institutions
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ACKNOWLEGMENT
The completion of this B.A. dissertation was made possible by the continuing
encouragement, impulse, guidance, and constructive criticism provided by a number of individuals,
whom I would like to thank in the following lines.
First of all, I want to express my sincere and heartfelt gratitude to my B. A supervisor
at the Chouaib Doukkali University, professor Soufiane Abouabdelkader, for guiding me
throughout the development of this work, for sharing with me his expertise as researchers
and educators, for showing me the right way to follow when the path in this B. A journey was
hard and stressful, and for awakening in me a real passion for carrying on my studies
Second, my most sincere thanks are due to all the students at Chouaib Doukkali University
who contributed each in his/her own way to the provision and/or collection of precious data for the
study. Special mention is made here to the teachers who and selflessly and kindly contributed to
the questionnaires. Without them, this research would not have been experiential and, without a
doubt, as enriching and enlightening. Their daily work and commitment to teaching have inspired
me to follow their footsteps and become a future English teacher.
Also, I would like to mention my peers, for having shared my concerns, for having
understood my needs and for always being there with a helping hand.
Last but not least, I would like to express my gratitude to my ever-supportive family for all
of their assistance, concern, and inspiration in my life. I especially dedicate this B. A dissertation
to my parents, Naima Kzaiber and Abderahmane Fekkar for supporting me either mentally or
financially and for their understanding and unconditional love.
Mouad Fekkar
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Dedication
This research is lovingly dedicated to my respective parents, Abderahmane and Naima,
who have been my constant source of inspiration. They have given me the derive and discipline
to tackle any task with enthusiast and determination. It is sincerely dedicated to my supervisor
Prof. Abouabdelkader, a truly kind and knowledgeable man, whose support and constructive
criticism has pushed me to expend the kind of efforts I have exerted to create this work as unique
as it can be. A sincere dedication also goes to my supportive friends, Abdelillah, Imane, Mehdi,
Youssef, and Fatima Ezzahra. Without their love and support, this research would not have been
made possible.
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TABLE OF CONTENT
ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………………………………………… 2
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS………………………………………………………………………... 3
DEDICATION……………………………………………………………………………………. 4
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS…………………………………………………………………….. 7
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………. 8
1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………….. 8
1.1. Statement of the Problem……………………………………………………………………. 8
1.2. Rationale and Significance of the Study………………………………………….…………. 10
1.3. Research Objectives……………………………………………………………………….. 10
1.4. Research Question………………………………………………………………………… 10
1.5. Research Hypotheses…………………………………………………………….………… 11
1.6. The Organization of the Study………………………………………………………………. 11
CHAPTER II: THE REVIEW OF THE LITTERATURE ………………………….……….13
2.1. Code-switching: A General Discussion …………………………………………………… 13
2.2. Types of Code-Switching……………………………………………………………..……...14
2.3. Code-switching in the EFL Classroom ………………………………….. ………………….15
2.3.1. Teachers’ and students’ Attitudes toward Code-switching in the EFL Classroom................16
2.3.2. The Functions of CS in the EFL Classroom..........................................................................18
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………..…………………22
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY …………………………………………………..……….24
3.1. Research Design………………………………………………………………….…………..24
3.2. Participants …………………………………………………………………………………..24
3.3. Data Collection Instruments………………………………………………………………….25
3.4 Questionnaire Survey Structure………………………………………………………………25
6.5. Data Analysis Procedure………………………….………………………………………… 26
CHAPTHER IV: RESULTS & FINDINGS………………………………………………….. 29
4.1. University Students and Teachers’ Code-Switching Frequency in the EFL Classroom…….29
4.2 Student’s Attitude toward the Teacher’s Code-Switching…………………………………...30
4.3. Teachers’ Attitudes toward Code-Switching in the EFL Classroom………………………...33
4.4. Attitudes towards the Students’ Code-Switching in the EFL Classroom…………………………….38
CHAPTER V: DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS…………………………………………...41
5.1. Code-Switching Frequency in the Classroom………………………………………….……41
5.2. Attitudes toward the Teacher’s Code-Switching in the Classroom…………………………. 41
5.3. Attitudes toward the Students’ Codeswitching in the Classroom……………………………43
5.4. Code-Switching Functions in The EFL Classroom …………………………………………44
CONCLUSION ………………………………………………………………….……………….47
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH…….......48
REFERENCE …………………………………………………………………………………... 50
APPENDIX……………………………………………………………………………………....53
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List of Abbreviations
• CS: Code-switching
• EFL: English Foreign Language
• ELL: English Language Learning
• ELT: English Language Teaching
• ESL: English Second Language
• L1: First Language
• L2: Second Language
• TL: Target Language
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CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
In bilingual and multilingual societies around the globe, speakers frequently switch from one code to
another to meet communication demands. This phenomenon of alternation between codes is known as code-
switching, as it applies in most EFL/ESL contexts.
In the Moroccan university classroom, due to the limited exposure to sufficient comprehensible
input from the natural environment, teachers have been instructed to teach high-quality English in the EFL
classrooms, since it is considered the most valuable experience for the students, as it provides them with a
sufficient comprehensible input, unlike the input they receive from the natural environment.
However, the declining level of English proficiency among English students in Morocco has brought about
the need to figure out how to tackle this issue. Teachers, consequently, have been employing code-switching
as a contextualization cue providing the students with the opportunities to enhance students’ understanding
and communicate meanings.
The focus of the present study tackles the university students’ and teachers’ attitudes towards code-
switching in the classroom and its functions on students’ language development. The present study,
however, may not yet expose all the complicated sides of bilingual code-switching in the university EFL
classrooms, but it will certainly serve as an important input in understanding the field better.
Before carrying our investigation, the term code-switching in this study refers to both code-mixing (intra-
sentential alternation) and code-switching (variation at the inter-sentential level).
In this study, both code-mixing (intra-sentential alternation) and code-switching (variation at
the inter-sentential level) will be referred to by the general term, code-switching, as this is also the
general practice in many classroom code-switching studies.
1.1. Statement of the Problem
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In most EFL classrooms, code-switching is being discouraged and considered as counter-
productive behavior in the English instruction methodology and teacher training (Polio & Duff,
1994; Cook, 2001). For this instance, English language teaching and English language learning
have been dominated by the principle that teachers should use only the target language and avoid
using the native language. However, many EFL instructors resort to code-switching from time to
time considering it as a means of fulfilling both pedagogical and social functions. For this reason,
this research paper tries first to measure the frequency in which the university students and teachers
switch codes during lectures, as it tries to investigate attitudes towards the application of code-
switching in the EFL classroom. Also, it aims to address the functions of code-switching in the
EFL classroom to determine its significance on the process of ELL.
1.2. Rationale and Significance of the Study
Growing up in a multilingual community, I was always fascinated by the phenomenon of
Code-switching. As I began studying English at Chouaib Doukkali University, I became interested
in the ways in which bilingual and multilingual teachers and students turn back and forth between
different languages in the EFL classroom. There have been some studies devoted to this topic.
However, much less focus has been systematically devoted to the research of attitudes of both
university teachers and students towards code-switching in the Moroccan EFL classrooms. It is for
this purpose this research gap has been addressed to check the occurrence of CS in the Moroccan
university EFL classrooms in general, and to investigate the informants’ attitudes towards the use
of code-switching in the EFL classroom in particular as well as the functions of employing CS in
the educational context.
The finding of this study will provide an added value to the field of code-switching
considering that CS plays an important role in language learning and language teaching. Thus,
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universities that apply the recommended approach derived from the results of this study will be
able to help the students, particularly, those with low performance to effectively enhance their
language learning process. Administrators will be guided on what the strategy should be
emphasized by the teacher in the university curriculum to improve the students’ performance in
learning the language. for the investigator, the study will help him to uncover critical areas in the
language learning process that few researchers tried to explore. Thus, a new theory on language
learning may be promoted.
1.3. Research Objectives
The researcher has conducted this study to achieve some objective and these objectives have
been given as follows:
• To contribute to the ongoing research on code-switching in the EFL classroom.
• To investigate the frequency of code-switching in the EFL classroom.
• To investigate the university teachers’ and students’ attitudes toward code-switching in the EFL
classroom.
• To examine the functions of CS in the EFL classroom.
• To provide teachers with useful information to help them develop courses based on the
findings, and to create practices that facilitate learning of EFL by taking CS as a pedagogical
strategy, as well as, to use it as a medium of instruction in college for low-proficiency students.
1.4. Research Questions
This study will investigate some issues from two perspectives. The first question of this study
is related to the students and teachers’ code-switching frequency in the EFL classroom. The second
question aims to investigate the attitudes of EFL teachers and students towards the teachers and
students’ CS in the classroom. Finally, the third question of the present study is related to the
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function of code-switching in the EFL classroom. This will be demonstrated clearly in the
following research question:
• RQ1: What are the university students and teachers’ code-switching frequency in the EFL
classroom?
• RQ2: What are some of the university students and teachers’ attitudes towards the teachers
and students’ code-switching in the EFL classroom?
• RQ3: What are some of the functions of the university teacher’s code-switching in the EFL
classroom?
1.5. Research Hypotheses
The hypotheses of this research paper are mainly fourfold:
• RH1: the frequency of the university students who switch codes is very low compare to those
who code-switch.
• RH3: EFL University students and teachers have positive attitudes toward the teachers’ code
switching in the classroom.
• RH3: EFL university students and teachers have negative attitudes toward the students’ code-
These three hypotheses are assumptions to the participants’ responses to the research questions.
They can be either asserted or denied depending on the analysis of the data gathered from both, the
teachers and the students of the English department at Chouaib Doukkali University.
1.6. Organization of the Study
This study is both theoretical and practical. The theoretical part is divided into two sections.
In section one, I conduct a literary review on code-switching in general. In section two, I advance
the theoretical framework, where I discuss the use of codeswitching in the EFL classroom. The
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practical part is concerned with data collection and data analysis and the discussion of the findings.
In section one of the practical part, I focus on the methodological issues, which involve a discussion
of the design and execution of a survey questionnaire to collect data from teachers and students
enrolled in the English department at Chouaib Doukkali University. Thereafter, part two provides
the results and a discussion of these results, the limitations, and future work of the study. Finally,
a conclusion summarizes what has been discussed in the present research paper and an alphabetical
listing of the references used in this work.
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CHAPTER II
I. Literature Review
This part attempts to create a theoretical framework of the present paper by reviewing several
issues relevant to the subject under investigation. It consists of two main sections. The first section
mainly deals with a general discussion about the concept of code-switching. The second section
deals with previous works related to the topic. It gives a review about code-switching in the English
foreign language courses.
2.1. Codeswitching: A General Discussion
In the course of the history of research on codeswitching, several definitions of the phenomenon
have been proposed. According to Hymes (1964), CS has become a general term for the alternative
use of two or more languages, dialects, or even speech styles. For instance, when people turn from
one code, such as grammatical code, to casual code, as the situation switches to an informal
situation. Gumperz (1982) sees codeswitching as “the juxtaposition within the same speech
exchange of passages of speech belonging to two different grammatical systems or subsystems”
(p. 59). Auer (1984) defines codeswitching as “the alternating use of more than one language” (p.
1). Code-switching is the process of changing from one code to another. (Suwito, 1985). When the
teacher initially uses code A (for example, English Language) and then switches to code B
(Moroccan-Arabic Language), this is referred to as code-switching. Wardhaugh (1986) gave a
similar definition. When the language used differs according to the context in which the conversant
finds himself, this process is referred to as code-switching. The speakers here change from one
code to another or speak in one language to another. Crystal (1987) addresses the phenomenon as
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a code switch when a bilingual person alternates between two languages when engaging in a
conversation with another bilingual person. Heller (1988) proposes that codeswitching is “the use
of more than one language in the course of a single communicative episode” (p. 1). In a similar
vein, Myers-Scotton (1993) sees codeswitching as “the use of two or more languages in the same
conversation, usually within the same conversational turn, or even within the same sentence of that
turn.” (p. 7)
2.2. Types of Codeswitching:
Several scholars have attempted to develop a typological paradigm to explain the CS
phenomena. Poplack (1980) suggested a well-known concept that defines three types of switching:
tag-switching, inter-sentential switching, and intra-sentential switching. Tag-switching is
embedding a tag or short sentence in one language into an utterance that is otherwise exclusive in
another language. Interjections, fillers, and idiomatic expressions are among the tags. A typical
example is the common English tags such as “You know,” “I mean,” and “right”. Similarly, Myers-
Scotton (1993) distinguishes between two general types: inter-sentential and intra-sentential.
According to her, intra--sentential codeswitching occurs within a sentence or sentence fragment.
In the case of Inter-sentential codeswitching, it appears when the speaker shifts from a language to
another between sentences; so, an entire sentence, or entire sentences, may be generated before
there is a switch back to the other language. The following two examples illustrate this distinction:
for inter-sentential, it can be demonstrated in the following example using both Moroccan Arabic,
English, and French. “Had semester chuia qash, I am not sure beli ghadi nejh unless ila khdemt
mezyan”. Translation: “this semester is quite hard. I am not sure if I am going to pass without
working hard.” A typical example for intrasensational CS is this: “The following sentence will start
in English and finished in the darija lmeghribia.” Translation: “the following sentence will start
in English and finished in the Moroccan-Arabic.”

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The foregoing discussion indicates that there has been a steady stream of research on the
phenomenon of codeswitching in different environments. The stream of research has identified the
concept of codeswitching as well as its types used in bilingual and multilingual communities. The
focus of this study, however, represents a departure in that it explores the EFL university students’
and teachers’ attitudes and perspectives toward codeswitching in the EFL classroom.
2.3. Codeswitching in EFL Classroom
Codeswitching in the foreign language classroom has generated its fair share of debate and
research. As for the definition, codeswitching in the foreign language classroom occurs when the
teacher or students change from one language to another during instruction. More often, in the
foreign language classroom, change is from the foreign language to the L1 of the majority of
students in the classroom. Research on this issue has gone through phases: the first phase where
researchers looked at bilingual classrooms in the United States to assess the impact of CS on
students‘ learning development; the second phase where researchers investigate the communicative
functions of using the first language in the foreign language classroom; and the third phase in which
researchers also investigate the linguistic and cultural backgrounds of those involved in CS. (Qian,
Tian, and Wang 2009).
There are supporters and opponents of using CS in foreign language classrooms. According to
those who support CS, it effectively helps students to learn a foreign language. Qing (2010), for
instance, suggests that “code-switching in language classroom is not always a blockage or
deficiency in learning a language, but may be considered as a useful strategy in classroom
interaction, if the aim is to make meaning clear and to transfer the knowledge to students in an
efficient way.” (p. 113). However, those who do not support the adoption of CS claim that it
negatively influences the acquisition of the second language. Macro (2001), for instance, argues
that exclusive use of the foreign language does not guarantee the acquisition of the language by
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language learners. Similarly, cook (2001) claims that the use of the native language in the foreign
language classroom can be counter-productive, in that it does not foster the acquisition of the
foreign language.
2.3.1. Attitudes of Teachers and Students toward Code-Switching
An extensive number of literature studies address that CS in foreign language classrooms is
not just a natural phenomenon, but also a useful strategy in learning the L2. Ahmad (2009)
investigated the attitude of EFL students towards their teachers' code-switching in the classroom
in Malaysia. The findings revealed that students supported teachers' code-switching, and that there
is a positive correlation between teachers' code-switching and students' effective support, as well
as between teachers' code-switching and students' learning performance. Similarly,
Abdullah Alenzi (2010) conducted an exploratory research in which he explored students' language
attitudes toward Arabic-English code switching as a means of instruction in a Human Development
for Occupational Therapy science curriculum. It also focuses on the effects of such language
attitudes on the students' academic achievement. the results of the study demonstrate that students
have a positive attitude towards code-switching. Students in this study strongly prefer switching
codes over using only a single language as a means of instruction.
In a similar vein, Amira Henni (2017) also examined the EFL students’ attitudes towards the
occurrence of code-switching in the Algerian EFL classroom. This study focuses on
investigating the students’ attitudes towards their own use as well as their teachers’ use of CS in
an Algerian EFL classroom. The findings show that most Algerian EFL students support the use
of code-switching in the classroom. In the other hand, students and teachers who switch from their
L1 or L2 (Arabic or French, respectively) to the TL (English) and vice versa have a good attitude
about code-switching. As a result, the latter seems to play a significant part in the learning process.
This study, however, takes only the perspective of students with excluding the teachers, unlike the
15
present study which takes the perspective of both, the teachers and the students’, towards code-
switching in the educational context.
Lee (2010), on the other hand, discusses teachers' attitudes toward code-switching, as well as
the forms and purposes of code switching used by EFL teachers. Lee in this study looked also at
how CS influences the transmission of the ELT. Respondents were asked to fill out a survey
questionnaire about their attitudes toward code switching in the EFL classroom, as well as their
opinion and the usage frequency of CS in the classroom. According to the results, the majority of
teachers have positive attitudes towards the phenomenon of code-switching. 85.7% (n = 36) of the
participants agreed that CS should be used in the EFL classroom. Furthermore, 88.1 % (n=37) of
teachers believe that code-switching improves students' EFL learning. (71.4%) of the participants
admitted that they use CS in the EFL classroom. Respondents also claim that they only
codeswitch when it's absolutely necessary. The limitations of this study are similar to the previous
investigation. The researcher took only the perspective of teachers with excluding the students’
perspective.
Teklesellassie and Boersma (2018) studied the attitudes of content subject teachers and their
freshmen students on the use of Code-switching in English-medium content subjects at Bahir Dar
University (BDU) in Ethiopia. The findings of this study suggest that both content subject teachers
and their freshmen students have positive attitudes about using Amharic, a local language of
broader communication, in an English-medium content subject classroom. The findings also show
that the students' attitudes towards the use of Amharic in the classroom were unaffected by their
first language background or gender, as a result, the researcher argues that content subject teachers
and students should not limit the use of Amharic judiciously as long as Amharic assists in the
delivery and the comprehension of content.
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Some studies have taken the perspective of both teachers and students. Yao (2011) examines
the instructors' and students’ attitudes to code-switching used by teachers in EFL classes in China.
The results revealed that both teachers and students in EFL classrooms have a positive attitude
towards the teachers' codeswitching. However, there are some contradictions in attitudes between
the two samples in some question items. These contradictions imply that using code-switching in
EFL classrooms should be adapting to the practical teaching. Although this study takes the
perspective of both teachers and students, it neglects the part in which it investigates the role of CS
in the classroom. That is, it excludes investigating the hidden functions behind the teachers’ code-
2.3.2. The Functions of CS in the Classroom
A substantial number of researches conducted in various contexts demonstrated that code-
switching has many functions, and it is used for a panoply of reasons in the foreign language
classroom. Willis (1996, p. 49) gave five reasons for teachers to allow the occurrence of
codeswitching in the ELT classroom. He claims that some teachers only allow the L1 to be spoken
if:
a. When a student has a question for the teacher that he or she is unable to address in English.
b. When the instructor asks the students how they would say a word or sentence in their native
tongue.
c. When the instructor needs to immediately illustrate something.
d. When the students are comparing the target-language with mother-tongue use
e. When the students are working on projects that require them to translate or summarize a target
language text.
Sert (2005) claims that codeswitching positively serves some basic functions in the process
of learning the L2. He identified three roles in his research: A) topic switch function, affective
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function, and repetitive function. According to the topic switch, the language teacher changes his
or her language to match the subject at hand. Cole (1998) advocates this approach, claiming that
“a teacher can exploit students’ previous L1 learning experience to increase their understanding of
L2”. The affective functions, on the other hand, go for the expression of emotions. That is, the
teacher uses code switching to achieve community and intimacy among the students. For the third
function of CS in the EFL classroom, the foreign language teachers use codeswitching in order to
clarify the required knowledge for the students. He, however, argues that the tendency to repeat
instruction in the student's L1 may result in some undesirable student behaviors.
The researcher also discussed the students’ codeswitching functions in the EFL classroom.
He addresses four functions: equivalence, floor-holding, reiteration, and conflict control. The
equivalence function is associated with a deficiency of linguistic competence in the L2, as the
learner uses the native lexical item when he or she is unable to express himself/herself in the
targeted language. The second function, floor-holding, is when the learner fills the stopgap with
native language items. Reiteration codeswitching functions to explain the intended meaning
through CS. the message in TL is repeated by the student in his L1 through which the learner tries
to give the meaning by making use of a repetition technique. conflict control CS serves as s
technique used by students to fill the gap of some culturally unavailable equivalent lexis, which
forces them to codeswitch.
According to a recent study by Badrul and Kamaruzaman (2009) in Malay, approximately
three-quarters of respondents (74.7%) said that their teachers codeswitch to test their understanding
of the material. The findings of the study suggest that code-switching is used to clarify the
meaning of new terms, discuss classroom management issues, make students feel at ease, and
demonstrate the distinctions between Malay and English grammar. The study found also that low-
proficiency students had a favorable attitude toward teacher CS. For this reason, students support
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the adoption of CS as a method of teaching English in the classroom. The researchers argue that
the reason behind the teachers’ usage of CS is significantly associated with learners’ affective
support and with learners’ learning success. A major limitation of this study is that, while it is a
case study that presents interesting information, its findings are not generalizable, in view of the
sample size involved.
Ariel (n.d), on the other hand, investigates the functions and triggering terms of code-
switching in a Philippine English classroom, which are commonly used by students during class
discussion and oral engagement as an assistance to the expression of their thoughts and ideas.
According to the research findings, code-switching improves students' oral performance, as well
as the way they communicate their thoughts and ideas is influenced by their mental processes. In
her study, she found several functions of code switching in first-year AB-English students in a
Philippian literature class: expressive function, which had the highest occurrence of (10) among
the six functions of code-switching. The referential function occurred six (6) times, followed by
the phatic and poetic functions, which appeared only one (1), and finally, the directive and
metalinguistic functions, which did not appear. In addition, the researcher suggests that code-
switching should be authorized in classrooms as a method to reduce the students' anxiety about
expressing themselves and participating in class. This study, however, cannot generalize its
findings due to the small number of selected informants.
Tien and Lui (2006). On the other hand, claim that the functions of codeswitching in the
EFL classroom is to facilitate learning and teaching and to create a better language learning
atmosphere. They addressed four main functions of code switching: instructional procedures,
equivalent comprehension, cognition assurance, and socializing effects. Likewise, Dawid Uys and
Ondene van Dulm (2011) address five functions of code-switching in the foreign classroom. They
claim that it is used (1) in terms of illustrating and explaining subject content; (2) in terms of
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facilitating students in understanding and decoding information; (3) as a teaching instrument for
encouraging participation (4) as a teaching tool of maintaining students' attention and reprimanding
disrespectful actions; and (5) for social functions, such as humor.
In recent studies, many scholars have identified the significance of codeswitching in the
EFL classroom. Bilgin (2013), for instance, investigates the attitude of teachers towards CS. He
looked at the functions, methods, reasons, and contributions of code-switching to the ELT process
from the perspective of students. According to the results of this study, almost all teachers use
code-switching to facilitate language learning and to provide learners with a more comfortable
learning environment, as students seem to feel less anxious when they encounter familiar words in
their L1 within the target language setting. The research in this study claim that students are more
likely to be actively involved in EFL learning since code-switching provides them with a sense of
familiarity, which, therefore, increases their motivation to learn.
In this research, some teachers claimed that the reason sometimes behind code-switching
is to make a joke more understandable; hence, they create a relaxing, funny, and hilarious language
learning atmosphere. These functions show that CS contributes as a warm-up technique, as well as
a facilitator, to resolve ambiguity in the EFL learning process. Some ELT teachers, however, claim
that teachers should not exaggerate applying codeswitching for all their teaching activities. it
should only be used as a helping technique and nothing more.
In a similar vein, the study of Modupeola (2013) investigates the significance of CS in the
teaching and learning of English in Nigeria. It emphasizes the idea of Code Switching as an
instructional technique and how it affects EFL teaching and learning. He argues that teachers use
CS to give students more chances to communicate and improve their understanding. It also tends
to facilitate the flow of classroom teaching, so teachers do not have to waste too much time trying
to illustrate something to students, or looking for the simplest terms to clarify any
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misunderstandings that might occur. He claims that code switching allows students to enjoy their
learning by understanding the teacher's input. That is, the understandable input makes them feel
less anxious and more at ease while learning, which allows them to focus and participate in the
classroom practices more successfully. This psychological reinforcement allows students to feel
more relaxed and at ease when learning English.
He stated, however, that code-switching has negative consequences in the teaching and
learning of English in Nigeria. When a teacher codes-witches due to his inability to express
himself/herself, he/she subconsciously passes a wrong message to the students. Thus, students
consider this behavior as a sign of language deficiency. Therefore, Modupeola, as Bilgin (2013)
saying, suggests that CS in the English language learning context should be limited. That is, to
ensure that the target language—English language—receives the attention it deserves.
In Morocco, Ismail Dahia (2019) investigated the extent to which MA/Amazigh is used in
high school English classrooms, the attitudes of teachers toward using Moroccan Arabic/Amazigh,
and their reasons behind using them. It was found that the main reasons and functions of teachers’
code-switching in the EFL classroom are communicating meanings, maintaining discipline in the
classroom, and translating new lexical terms. The samples of the study were only EFL high school
teachers20. Therefore, it cannot generalize its results.
Conclusion
Code-switching is seen as one of the most commonly repeated concepts among bilingual
and multilingual speech communities. Teachers and students consider code-switching as a
supportive communication strategy for clarifying meanings to students during classroom
instruction to bypass any possible misunderstanding problems. In the literature, it has been a steady
stream of research on CS in foreign language classrooms and in different environments. The stream
21
of research has identified the teachers’ and students’ attitudes toward CS and its functions in the
foreign language classroom in different contexts. However, it has been observed that the
phenomenon of code-switching has not been intensively investigated in the Moroccan EFL
university classroom. That is, Understanding the students’ and educators’ attitudes towards the use
of CS in the Moroccan EFL university classroom will help the decision-makers to build a teaching
strategy using CS. We have observed that these attitudes were not sufficiently covered within the
Moroccan context. For this reason, it encouraged us to shed light on the unexamined gaps in the
recent available studies.
In this study, we are conducting a questionnaire survey (as a quantitative method) at the
English department of Chouaib Doukkali University. This study investigates the learners’ and
educators’ attitudes towards using CS in the EFL classroom. Different factors, which were not
examined in the current available studies will be taken into consideration for examining the
students’ and educators’ attitudes in order to get a clear picture of the mentioned attitudes.
22
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY
This part is divided into three sections: the designs, the informants, and the instruments. The
main purpose of this study is to investigate the EFL university student’s and teachers’ attitudes
toward code-switching in the Moroccan EFL classrooms.
3.1. Designs
In order to test the hypotheses and to get data from a larger group of informants. I conduct
a survey among both EFL teachers and students at Chouaib Doukkali university. In the survey
questionnaire, I include a number of questions. I also contain items that assess the teachers’ and
students’ attitudes towards code-switching in the EFL class and the functions for such behavior. In
addition, questions include demographic and psychographic information such as participant age,
gender, year in University. There are five choices to each question designed to fit the Likert-type
scale. Students and teachers are asked to choose one of the five boxes by each statement, as
appropriate. the data is coded using SPSS software.
3.2. Participants
The informants of the study are randomly selected from the English department of the
University of Chouaib Doukkali. EFL students from semesters two, four, and six. EFL teachers
also are selected to fill the survey questionnaire. Table 1 illustrates the entire details of the
collected data.
Table 1: Data Collection details.
University Name/ Country Number of Number of Teachers

students
Chouaib Doukkali University, 37 13
Morocco
23
3.3. Data Collecting Instruments
The researcher uses a descriptive qualitative method. Quantitative data will be collected
through the tool of a questionnaire. Two kinds of questionnaire surveys are designed and
distributed, one for students and the other for teachers. This technique is considered a very authentic
and valid tool for this study as it gives equal opportunities to the participants, EFL students and
teachers, to answer the questions, as the respondents find it quite easy and very appropriate to
respond to the questionnaire rather than any other means. It is deemed appropriate for the present
study for gathering data that could be used to examine individual difference variables like students’
and teachers’ attitudes towards code-switching.
3.4. Questionnaire Survey Structure
The questionnaire surveys are prepared and designed by the researcher himself based on
the study’s research questions. The students’ and educators’ surveys were checked by the
dissertation supervisor (Dr. Soufiane Abouabdelkader) at the Chouaib Doukkali University. The
structure of both surveys is illustrated in the following two sections.
Students’ Survey
The students’ questionnaire survey includes 17 items that are categorized into three main
sections. The first part of the questionnaire includes three items representing the student’s
demographic data such as gender, age, degree. The second part of the questionnaire includes one
item representing students’ usage of code-switching. The third part of the questionnaire includes
14 items investigating the students’ attitudes towards the use of code-switching. A five-point Likert
Scale with strongly agree (5), agree (4), not sure (3), disagree (2), and strongly disagree (1) has
been utilized to measure the 14 items.
Educators’ Survey
24
The educators’ questionnaire survey includes 21 items that are categorized into three main
sections. The first section of the questionnaire survey encompasses four items representing the
educators’ personal demographic data, which include gender, qualification, age, and experience in
teaching. The second section contains one question concerning the educators’ usage of code-
switching in the classroom. The third section consists of 16 items that investigates the attitudes
towards the use of Code-switching. A five-point Likert Scale with strongly agree (5), agree (4), not
sure (3), disagree (2), and strongly disagree (1) was utilized to measure these items.
3.5. Data Analysis Procedure
The survey questionnaire results were analyzed in a quantitative form using the SPSS
program. The frequencies and percentages were calculated to see the functions and the attitudes of
both the students and the teachers towards code-switching in the EFL classroom. Tables are used
to clarify the readings of the data.
3.5.1. Students’ Data Analysis
36 questionnaire surveys were distributed as a hard copy among the students at Chouaib
Doukkali University in Morocco, only one questionnaire survey was distributed online to the
researcher’s peer. The participating students were approached from different ages and different
degrees of study.
Students’ Demographic Data
As Table two indicates, 84.6 % of the participated students were females while only
15.4% % were males. The majority of the informants were aged between 18 and 22 -81.1%).
8.1% were aged 23 to 28 and above 35. 57.1% of the participants are semester four students,
28.6% are semester six students. However, only 14.3% are semester two students.
Table 2: Students’ Demographic Data
25
# Demographic Answers Frequency Percentage
Variables
1 Gender Male 6 15.4
Female 33 84.6
2 Semester 2 4 14.3
Semester Semester 4 16 57.1
Semester 6 8 28.6
3 18 to 22 30 81.1
age 23 to 28 3 8.1
29 to 35 1 2.7
Above 35 3 8.1
3.5.2 Teachers’ Data Analysis
11 questionnaire surveys were distributed as a hard-copy among the teachers at Chouaib
Doukkali University in Morocco. five questionnaire surveys were distributed as a soft-copy to the
teachers. The participating teachers were approached from different ages, academic rank, and
experience in teaching.
Teachers’ Demographic Data
The data in table three shows the dominance of the male teachers (86.7), whereas the
females are only 13.3%. 46.7% of the participant teachers are professors, 40% are assistant
professors, and 13% are associative professors. Most of the teachers are aged between 46 to 55,
and 86.7% more than 10 teaching experience, which makes this data more reliable in measuring
their attitude towards the students and their CS.
Table 03: Teachers’ Demographic Data
# Demographic Variables Answers Frequency Percentage

4 Gender Male 13 86.7
Female 2 13.3
5 Professor 7 46.7
Academic Rank Assistant Professor 6 40
Associative Professor 2 13.3
6 26 to 35 3 20
age 36 to 45 3 20
46 to 55 6 40
26
Above 55 3 20
7 Experience in Less than 5 years 1 6.7
Teaching Between 5 to 10 years 1 6.7
More than 10 years 13 86.7
27
CHAPTER IV: RESULTS AND FINDINGS
The study findings are organized into four sections: The first examines the EFL university
students and teachers’ code-switching frequency during the lectures. The second section investigates
the students’ and teachers’ attitudes towards the instructors’ code-switching in the EFL classroom in terms
of teachers’ persona, classroom management, subject access, and interpersonal relations. The third section
is concerned specifically with the students’ and teachers’ attitudes towards the students who code-switch
in the EFL classroom. Finally, the fourth section focuses on some functions of code-switching in the
classroom.
4.1. University Students and Teachers’ Code-Switching Frequency in the EFL
Classroom
This research section is being introduced to measure CS frequency by both the EFL
university students and teachers in classes. Based on the findings, this study demonstrates two
unexpected results that correlate with the first research question. More than half of the participant
students claim that they code-switch during lectures with a percentage of 54.1%. 17 out of 37, on
the other hand, report that they do not code-switch. By contrast, the results of the survey
questionnaire of the teachers illustrate that more than half of the participant teachers do not code-
switch during the classes. However, the difference between the two is not significant, as there is an
equal percentage of the teachers who code-switch (46.7) versus those who do not (53%).
Table 04: The Students’ Usage of CS in the Classroom
# Items / Questions Participants Answers Frequency Percentage

8 Do you use Code-Switching in your Yes 20 54.1
classrooms? students
NO 17 45.9
9 Do you use Code-Switching in your Yes 7 46.7
classrooms? Teachers
NO 8 53.3
28
4.2 Student’s Attitude toward the Teacher’s Codeswitching
Students’ responses to all the questions of the questionnaire are being analyzed in this
section. Teachers’ attitudes to CS in EFL classrooms are demonstrated under four subheadings:
attitudes to teachers’ persona in using CS, attitudes to CS in subject access, attitudes to CS in
classroom management, and attitudes to CS for interpersonal relations.
Student’s Attitudes towards Code-Switching in terms of the Teachers’ Persona:
Question number 10 in table five concerns the student’s attitudes to the language proficiency
of the teacher who code-switch in the EFL classroom. Table five illustrates that the majority of
students disagree that teachers who switch codes are not proficient in English. About 32% of the
students take remain neutral. The following item elicits opinions from students varying on whether
teachers’ switches will pollute the languages. 64.8% of the Students in this case disagree. However,
only 6 out of 37 of the participant students strongly agree.
Table05: Student’s Attitudes towards Code-Switching in Relation to Teacher’s Persona
# Items / Questions Answers Frequency Percentage Mean Std.

Deviation
Instructors who Strongly Agree 4 10.8
switch codes from Agree 6 16.2
English to Moroccan Neutral 12 32.4
10 Arabic are proficient Disagree 11 29.7 2.86 1.15
in English. Strongly Disagree 4 10.8
Instructors who Strongly Agree 6 16.2

codeswitch pollute Agree 0 0
languages. Neutral 6 16.2
11 Disagree 15 40.5 3.24 5.19
Strongly Disagree 9 24.3
Students’ Attitudes toward Teachers’ CS in terms of Classroom Management:
This part investigates students’ perception on whether the teachers’ code-switching can
manage the classroom activities more effectively than resorting only to English. Question number
29
12 demonstrates that most of the students disagree that CS during lectures can better discipline the
students. However, the results of the following item are completely different. 64.8% of the
participant students strongly advocate that code-switching is a significant and valid method in
engaging the students’ attention in classes. Only 15.4% display disagreement with a mean score of
3.56.
Table06: Students’ Attitudes toward Teachers’ CS in Relation to Classroom Management

Deviation
Instructors who switch Strongly Agree 2 5.4
codes from English to Agree 8 21.6
12 Moroccan Arabic can Neutral 13 35.1
better discipline their Disagree 8 21.6 3.13 2.13
students Strongly Disagree 5 13.5
Instructors who code- Strongly Agree 6 16.2
switch from English to Agree 18 48.6
13 Moroccan Arabic can Neutral 7 18.9
better engage Their Disagree 3 7.7 3.56 1.11
students’ attention Strongly Disagree 3 7.7
Student’s Attitudes towards Code-Switching in terms of Subject Access:
This section relates the students’ attitudes on whether the teachers who code-switch can
enable them to understand the classroom materials better or not. In response to item 14and 16 in
table seven, students seem to contradict that the teachers’ CS in the classroom helps them
understand the topic better, nor it makes the discussion more interesting. However, 27% claim that
CS enables them to understand the subjects more effectively. By contrast, students in item 15
support that the teachers’ code-switching enables them to acquire new lexical items sufficiently
rather than using only English. 18.9% of the participants, on the other hand, disagree with this
statement with a mean score of 3.54.
Table 07: Student’s Attitudes towards Code-Switching in terms of Subject Access:

Deviation
30
14 Teacher’s Code- Strongly Agree 5 13.5
switching allows me to Agree 5 13.5
understand the topic Neutral 15 40.5 3.1 1.38
better Disagree 9 24.3
15 Code-switching helps Strongly Agree 9 24.3
me in learning new
words from the Agree 13 35.1
educators while they Neutral 8 21.6 3.54 1.26
are switching between Disagree 3 8.1
English and
Moroccan Arabic.
16 CS makes the Strongly Agree 4 10.8
discussion more Agree 7 18.9
interesting. Neutral 6 16.2 2.54 1.40
Disagree 8 21.6
Student’s Attitudes toward the Teachers’ CS in terms of Interpersonal Relations:
This category of students' attitudes towards the teachers' CS in relation to interpersonal
relations illustrates the assumption that the EFL classroom is not only a place of formal learning,
but also a social and affective environment, where both teachers and students negotiate
relationships and identities.
Most of the participant students in items 17 and 18 contradict with the fact that teachers’
who code-switch in the classroom cannot better praise and comment on students’ responses. Item
19, on the other hand, is strongly advocated by the participant students. They have a positive
attitude toward the use of CS to better enliven the class atmosphere. In the same line with items 17
and 18, the students seem to disagree with question number 20. The majority of the students report
that CS in the classroom is not a sufficient technique to boost the students’ confidence in the
classroom, nor it is an ideal strategy to create a better classroom environment.
Table 08: Student’s Attitudes toward the Teachers’ CS in Relation to Interpersonal Relations
31
Deviation
17 Strongly Agree 6 16.2
Instructors who code-
switch from English Agree 7 18.9
to Moroccan Arabic 2.94 1.33
Neutral 9 24.3
can better comment
on their students’ Disagree 9 24.3
response.
Instructors who Agree 7 18.9
switch codes from Neutral 10 27
English to Moroccan Disagree 9 24.3 2.67 1.24
Arabic can better Strongly Disagree 8 21.6
praise their students.
Instructors who Agree 13 35.1
switch codes can Neutral 4 10.8
better enliven the Disagree 0 0 3.89 1.23
atmosphere of class Strongly Disagree 5 13.5
(e.g. being
humorous).
20 CS makes me more Strongly Agree 0 0

comfortable and Agree 7 19.4
confident in the 2.41 1.05
Neutral 9 25
classroom.
Disagree 12 33.2
4.3. Teachers’ attitudes toward Code-Switching in the EFL Classroom:
In this section, similar steps are being analyzed as the students’ part. Teachers’ responses
to all the questions of the questionnaire are being analyzed. Teachers’ attitudes to CS in EFL
classrooms are demonstrated under four subheadings: attitudes to teachers’ persona in using CS,
attitudes to CS in subject access, attitudes to CS in classroom management, and attitudes to CS for
interpersonal relations.
Teachers’ Attitudes to Code-Switching in Relation to Teachers’ Persona
32
This subheading concerns the teachers’ attitudes to the language proficiency of those who
switch codes in the EFL classroom. As being illustrated, table nine displays that the majority of
teachers (40%) believe that teachers’ who code-switch in the classroom are not proficient in
English. they agree with the fact that those who code-switch pollute languages. however, language
pollution is a tricky statement. Teachers display also that the lack of culturally equivalent lexis is
not the reason for the teachers’ CS. however, 20% claim that this fact is one of the reasons behind
the teachers’ CS in the classroom.
Table 9: Teachers’ Attitudes to Code-Switching in Relation to Teachers’ Persona

Deviation
Instructors who switch Agree 3 20
codes from English to Neutral 5 33.3 2.60 1.35
Moroccan Arabic are Disagree 1 6.7
proficient in English. Strongly Disagree 5 33.3

Agree 1 6.7
instructors who Neutral 2 13.3 2.46 1.30
codeswitch pollute Disagree 7 46.7
languages. Strongly Disagree 3 20
23 Strongly Agree 0 0
Agree 3 20
Teachers Code-switch Neutral 5 33.3 2.33 1.23
due to the lack of Disagree 1 6.7
culturally equivalent Strongly Disagree 6 40
lexis
Teachers’ Attitudes toward CS in Relation to Classroom Management:
Concerning the teachers’ attitudes towards CS in terms of classroom management, table 10
demonstrates that teachers 46.7% agree that CS is a sufficient method to discipline the learners. six
of the participants show disagreement. They believe that avoiding the use of the L1 and uttering
33
the L2 to discipline the students is more effective than switching codes. Teachers, however, show
a strong disagreement concerning the relationship between CS and engaging the student attention
during lectures. That is, CS as a technique to engage student attention and focus during classes is
not valid nor it is sufficient.
Table 10: Teachers’ Attitudes toward CS in Relation to Classroom Management

Deviation
24 Instructors who switch Strongly Agree 1 6.7
codes from English to Agree 6 40
Moroccan Arabic can Neutral 1 6.7 2.39 1.27
better discipline their Disagree 5 33.3
students Strongly 2 13.3
Disagree
25 Instructors who code- Strongly Agree 2 13.3
switch from English to Agree 0 0
better engage their Disagree 4 26.7
students’ attention Strongly 4 26.7
Disagree
Teachers’ Attitudes to CS in Relation to Subject Access
This subheading tries to investigate the teachers’ views on whether code-switching in class
will help students understand the subject matter of their lessons or not. As being illustrated in table
11, almost half of the participants in the first question claim that they do not code-switch to help
the students understand the subject matter of their lessons. However, 39.7% of the participant
teachers support this statement, as 13.3% choose no side. The second question, on the other hand,
contradicts with the previous one. That is, 46.7 of the teachers claim that they code-switch to
convey new meaning easily to students, while 39% disagree and 13% remain neutral.
The last two statements in table 11 focus on enhancing the students’ lexical background. In
statement 28, the teachers take two sides, 39% agree or strongly disagree, and 33% contradict with
34
this statement with a mean score of 3. Unexpectedly, the last statement was strongly disagreed by
the participants with a percentage of 66.6%, whereas only 26% display agreement.
Table 11: Teachers’ Attitudes to CS in Relation to Subject Access

Deviation
26 I Code-switch while Strongly 1 6.7
teaching in order to help Agree 2.73
my students understand Agree 5 33.3 1.38
better Neutral 2 13.3
Disagree 3 20
Strongly 4 26.7
Disagree
27 Code-switching helps me to Strongly 1 6.7
convey meaning easily to Agree
students. Agree 6 40 2.86 1.40
Neutral 2 13.3
Disagree 2 13.3
Strongly 4 26.7
Disagree
28 Using Code-switching Strongly 2 13.3
while illustrating new terms Agree
helps the students to learn Agree 4 26.7 3 1.36
better. Neutral 4 26.7
Disagree 2 13.3
Strongly 3 20
Disagree
29 Code-switching enables the Strongly 0 0
students to boost up their Agree
English language skills. Agree 4 26.7 2.26 1.22
Neutral 1 6.7
Disagree 5 33.3
Strongly 5 33.3
Disagree
Teachers’ Attitudes Toward CS in Relation to Interpersonal Relations:
This category of attitudes towards CS for interpersonal relations displays that the classroom
is not only for formal learning, but also a social and affective environment in its own right. A
teacher may when the occasion is appropriate, switches to Moroccan Arabic to build a connection
with individual students, create greater personal warmth and encourage greater learner
35
involvement. The following questions pursue the teachers’ attitudes toward CS in relation to
interpersonal relations from different aspects.
The results display that teachers do not support the use of CS as a way of commenting on
the students’ responses. They also believe that CS as a praising technique is not an effective
technique as using only one code (English). however, they believe that CS can create a better
classroom environment such as uttering humor by using the Moroccan mother tongue. In response
to question 33 and 34, teachers demonstrate that CS does not help them to build a strong
relationship with their students. However, when it comes to the students’ comfortableness and
boosting their confidence, teachers equally take two sides, those who agree that it is sufficient in
enabling the students to feel comfortable during classes, and those who disagree that it is a
counterproductive technique in boosting their confidence.
Table 12: Teachers’ Attitudes toward CS in Relation to Interpersonal Relations

Deviation
30 Strongly 0 0
Teachers who code-switch Agree
from English to Moroccan Agree 1 6.7 2.20 0.94
Arabic can better comment Neutral 5 33.3
on their students’ Disagree 5 33.3
response. Strongly 4 26.7
Disagree
31 Strongly 0 0
Instructors who code- Agree
switch from English to Agree 3 20
better praise their Disagree 5 33.3
students. Strongly 3 20
Disagree
32 Strongly 3 20
Instructors who code- Agree
switch can better enliven Agree 4 26.7 3.26 1.27
the atmosphere of class Neutral 3 20
Disagree 4 26.7
36
(e.g. make a joke for Strongly 1 6.7
humor). Disagree
33 Code-switching helps me Strongly 1 6.7

to bond strongly with my Agree
students. Agree 2 13.3 2.26 1.27
Neutral 2 13.3
Disagree 5 33.3
Strongly 5 33.3
Disagree
34 Code-switching makes the Strongly 2 13.3
students feel more Agree
comfortable and confident Agree 5 33.3 2.86 1.50
while learning. Neutral 1 6.7
Disagree 3 20
Strongly 4 26.7
Disagree
4.4. Attitudes towards the Students’ Code-switch in the EFL Classroom
The results of the attitudes towards the students’ CS in the classroom is divided into two
sections. The first section relates the students’ attitudes towards their classmates’ code-switching
in the classroom. The second section also relates the teachers’ attitudes towards their students’
code-switching in the classroom.
Student’s Attitude toward their Classmates Code-switching
The findings demonstrate that students, in general, believe that the students’ CS in the
classroom is not an indicator of English language deficiency. Table 13 displays that the majority
of students have a positive attitude toward the learners who switch codes during lectures with a
means score of 3.21.
The teacher’s findings, on the other hand, contradict with the students’ results. They claim
that switching codes is a sign of language deficiency. The majority of the participant teachers have
a negative attitude towards their students’ code-switching. They claim that students who code-
switch in the class are not proficient in English.
Table 13: Students and teachers’ Attitudes towards their Classmates CS in the Classroom.
37
# Items / Questions Participants Answers Frequency Percentage Mean Std. Deviation
35 students Strongly 5 8.1
Students who code-switch Agree
in the class are proficient Agree 4 32.4
in English. Neutral 13 35.1 2.89 1.14
Disagree 12 10.8
Strongly 3 13.5
Disagree
36 Teachers Strongly 3 20
Agree
Agree 2 13.3
Neutral 1 6.1 2.73 1.48
Disagree 6 40
Strongly 3 20
Disagree
37 Students Strongly 5 13.5
Students who code-switch Agree
in the class are not Agree 11 29.7
proficient in English. Neutral 13 35.1 3.21 1.20
Disagree 3 8.1
Strongly 5 13.5
Disagree
38 Teachers Strongly 4 26.7
Agree
Agree 3 20
Neutral 2 13.3 3.13 1.53
Disagree 3 20
Strongly 3 20
Disagree
38
CHAPTER V: DISCUSSION OF THE
RESULTS
This Chapter aims specifically to discuss the research results. It is divided into four sections.
Each section correlates with the research questions. The first section is related to the students and
teachers’ CS frequency in the classroom. The second section correlates with the attitudes of the
teachers and students towards the teachers’ CS, which itself divided into four classifications:
teachers’ persona, classroom management, subject access, and interpersonal relation among the
teachers and their students. The third section of this chapter focuses on the attitudes towards the
students’ use of CS in the class. The final section, on the other hand, aims to discuss the overall CS
functions according to the attitude results.
5.1. Code-Switching Frequency in the EFL Classroom
The results of this section are quite unexpected. Based on the findings of this study, two
unexpected results are found which correlate with the first question of this study. However, the
first hypothesis of this research is unsupportable here. More than half of the students declare that
they code-switch in the classroom. A possible explanation for their use of CS during lectures is
perhaps related to their language competence. That is, students tend to switch codes when they are
unable to express themselves or they lack enough vocabulary. Another possible explanation might
be the lack of some English word equivalents. For this reason, they tend to fill the gap of some
culturally unavailable equivalent lexis, which forces them to codeswitch. (Sert, 2005).
By contrast, the results of the teachers’ survey questionnaire illustrate that, unlike the students’
results, more than half of the teachers claim that they do not code-switch in the classroom, whereas
39
46.7% claim they do switch codes during lectures. In fact, some of the teachers who claim that they
do not code-switch in the classroom are perhaps ambivalent in their views of code-switching and
reluctant or even ashamed to admit that CS is a part of their EFL classroom teaching practice. A
possible explanation for the instructors who switch codes during lectures is that as it is mentioned
by Sert (2005) they resort to fill the gap of unavailable vocabularies in the English language.
Another possible reason is that they use code-switching to clarify the intended meaning more
accurately, or to build a strong relationship with their students.
5.2. Attitudes toward the Teacher’s Code-Switching in the Classroom.
The attitudes of the students and teachers that have been found in this research paper are quite
significant and vary from one individual to another. In this section, the focus is on answering the
research’s second question which deals with some of the EFL university students and teachers’
attitudes towards the phenomenon of CS in the classroom. In a similar vein, the researcher tries to
test the second hypothesis of this research “EFL University students and teachers have positive
attitudes toward the teachers’ code-switching in the classroom. Four classifications are handed to
describe the teachers’ and students’ attitudes: attitudes in relation to teachers’ persona, classroom
management, subject access, and interpersonal relations.
If we compare the results of the students and teachers in relation to the teaches’ persona, we
find that both students and teachers have a negative attitude toward the teachers’ who switch codes
in the classroom. Items 10, 11, and 12 in table 5 and items 21, 22, and 23 in table 9 demonstrate
that, according to the results, instructors who switch codes are not proficient in English. however,
teachers who support this claim should consider the hidden reasons that lie behind the teacher’s
CS. that is, as an example, teachers may code-switch to enable the students to adopt a better
understanding of the curriculum. They should also consider that in order for an individual to code-
switch, he must be proficient in the L2. Ferguson (2003) pointed, “far from being an indicator of
40
deficiency in the use of one or both languages, switching codes requires high levels of bilingual
proficiency.” (p. 45) When it comes to language pollution, both students and teacher consider the
instructors’ CS pollutes ELT and ELL. However, language pollution is a tricky concept. One of
the reasons for their choice is that they do not understand what ‘language pollution’ is.
In relation to classroom management, the results of the students vary from the results of the
teachers. Students disagree that CS can better discipline the students. Teachers, on the other hand,
support this fact. They believe that switching codes is effective in managing the classroom, e.i the
teacher can switch to Moroccan Arabic to blame and discipline some students when they
misbehaved in the classroom. However, Teachers usually do not need to discipline the university
students when teaching or doing exercises, since they are mature enough to be disciplined. Another
aspect that varies among students and teachers is the usage of CS as a strategy to attract students’
attention during lectors. Most Students claim that when the teacher switches codes in the classroom,
their focus on the topic increases and engages their attention more effectively. Teachers, on the
other hand, seem to have an opposite view in terms of its validity in engaging their students’
attention during lectures. A possible explanation for the students’ agreement is that it might be
affected by the rare cases in which the teacher code-switches. That is, when the teacher code-
switches, the students’ attention rises. However, code-switching is perhaps not the best way for
engaging students’ attention in classroom teaching.
Concerning the students’ and teachers’ attitudes toward the teachers’ CS in terms of subject
access, both of the participants have different attitudes. Students display negative attitudes toward
the use of CS as a strategy that enables them to understand the material effectively, and make the
discussion more interesting., Teachers have a different view regarding this matter. They believe
that switching codes can enable the students to better comprehend the subject matter and make the
41
lectures interesting. Ironically, the results of the students contradict with the previous researches
which were mentioned in chapter II.
When it comes to the teachers and students’ attitudes in relation to interpersonal relations
between the teacher and his students, both the students and teachers, generally, have negative
attitudes towards this matter. As being illustrated in items 17, 18, and 20 in table 8, and items 30,
31, 33, and 43 in table 12, students and teachers consider CS as an insufficient tool for building a
strong rapport between the students and their teachers. Additionally, the use of CS in the
educational context does not support the fact that it is a better tool for praising the students. The
reason for this perhaps lies on the fact that the majority of the Moroccan university teachers in EFL
classrooms rarely use praising words, and even when they use them, they uttered them in English,
but not in the Moroccan mother tongue. The informant teachers and students also claim that CS
does not provide them with comfortableness, nor it helps the students to boost their confidence in
the classroom. However, it seems that both of the participants have a positive attitude towards CS
as a means of enlivening the classroom’s atmosphere. As it was predicted, the majority of the
informants agree that the use of code-switching in the classroom can create a better classroom
environment. This slanting of the students’ attitude is due to the humor structure and complexity.
Most of the jokes are better to be spoken in the mother tongue than being spoken in the targeted
language. that is, to avoid the jokes being mistakenly interpreted, they must be spoken in the
Moroccan-Arabic.
5.3. Attitudes towards the Students’ Code-Switching in the Classroom.
This section deals with the attitudes of the teachers and students towards the students’ code-
switching in the classroom. Unpredictably, the results of this section do no support hypothesis
three of this research paper. The majority of the informant teachers and students have positive
attitudes towards the students’ code-switching. More than 45 % of the students and 46.7% of the
42
teachers agree that students’ code-switching is a natural phenomenon that occurs in most bilingual
contexts, but not a sign of language deficiency. Ferguson (2003) saying seems to always support
these results. He mentioned that for an individual to code-switch, he must reach a high proficiency
in the L2.
5.4. Code Switching Functions in the EFL Classroom
The findings in terms of the functions of switching from the L2 to the L1, from English to
Moroccan-Arabic in this case, appear to support previous findings, which propose that the
switching to the mother tongue necessarily serves some basic functions which may be
advantageous in the context of foreign language learning. In this section, two main functions from
the work of Sert (2005) are supported by the results, the topic switch function, and the affective
function. In addition, the classroom management function in proportion to the research of Suresh
Canagarajah (2010) is being supported in this context.
Topic Switch:
The Topic switch is when the teacher alters his/her language according to the topic that is
under discussion. In these situations, the pupils concentrate on the new knowledge by making use
of code-switching and accordingly making use of their L1. The EFL teachers in these cases use
code-switching to reduce either students’ miscomprehension of the lesson or students’ difficulties
in understanding the English lesson given by the university teachers in the EFL classroom. This
can be supported by the statement “I Code-switch while teaching to help my students understand
better”. That is, Code-switching here is used as a tool for the transference of meaning. Statement
27 in table 11 “Code-switching helps me to convey meaning easily to students”, which is strongly
advocated by the participant teachers demonstrates that using CS in the classroom can work as a
strategy to clarify the meaning easily. Thus, it tends to facilitate the flow of classroom teaching, so
teachers do not have to waste too much time trying to illustrate something to students, or looking
43
for the simplest terms to clarify any misunderstandings that might occur. Code-switching serves
also as a tool for illustrating new terms to help the students learn better. 46.8% of the participants
claim that their teachers code-switch to explain new vocabulary items. That is, the students build a
link between the unknown (English), and the known (Moroccan Arabic) to transfer new meaning
and content which builds clarity. Therefore, it is considered an important element in English
language teaching and learning when used efficiently.
Affective Functions:
Another case where EFL teachers seem to code-switch is to convey affective functions. In
such situations, instructors employ code-switching to express their emotions. In this respect, code-
switching is used to build a strong rapport and solidarity between the students and the teachers.
This kind of switch contributes to the teachers' ability to establish a supportive language
environment in EFL classrooms. Statement 19 suggests that teachers who switch codes from
English to Moroccan Arabic can better praise students. This is strongly advocated by the participant
students with a mean score of 2.41. However, using both languages to praise a student is practical,
but excluding one from the other would not be as efficient as using both languages. In a similar
vein, code-switching functions as a tool to better enliven the atmosphere of the class. For example,
the teacher switches to the Moroccan-Darija to make a joke for humor, which serves as a means of
facilitating learning and teaching by creating a better language learning atmosphere. Most of the
participants advocated the usage of CS is applied in the classroom for social reasons, maintaining
social relationships with learners, and also for being humorous.
Classroom management functions:
Code-switching also functions as a technique in managing the classroom. In this function,
the focus is not only on the development of linguistic skills, but on the transmission of subject
contents where the teachers can discipline and engage the students’ attention more effectively. In
44
statement 24 table 10, the majority of teachers support that code-switching functions as a sufficient
strategy to discipline the students in the classroom. The teacher, for example, to discipline the
students, switches from English to Moroccan Arabic to deal with late-comers or students who are
causing a disruption during lectures. Additionally, Code-switching functions as a method to engage
the students’ attention. That is, it enables the students to focus on the classroom material and to
make the discussion more interesting. Although the results from the teachers completely differ
from the attitudes of the students in the statement that says “instructors who code-switch from
English to Moroccan Arabic can better engage students’ attention”, we must take into
considerations that the agreement of the students in table six is more reliable in this context. That
is, students in this situation can better know what engages their attention and what does not than
the teachers.
All in all, it appears that the teachers in this paper adopt code-switching for the same
purposes that have been reported in other research on code switching in the classroom. That is, they
use it for illustrating and clarifying new terms, managing the classroom activities such as discipline
and engage students’ attention, and maintaining social relationships with learners (praising
students, comment on student responses, and being humorous).
45
Conclusion
In the eyes of some of the participant teachers and students, code-switching negatively
influences English language learning, as it is a sign of linguistic deficiencies. However, a
significant percentage seems to disagree and believe it to be useful by making communication
easier and enhancing the learning of the targeted language. That is, resorting to code-switching at
key moments in the classroom may foster students' involvement in the learning process within a
relaxing environment since it provides them with a feeling of relief by the help of familiarity
offered with their mother tongue (Moroccan-Arabic).
Among the findings obtained through the survey administered to the teachers and students
at Chouaib Doukkali University, it may be concluded that the main functions of CS are found to
be academic and social. Specifically, Code-switching is used (i) to clarify and explain subject
content; (ii) to assist students to understand and interpret material; (iii) as a means of teaching to
confirm understanding and encouraging participation; (iv) to manage the classroom, such as to
engage students’ attention and to reprimand disruptive behavior; and (v) as a social function, such
as enlivening the class atmosphere by uttering a joke for humor with using the Moroccan language.
We will therefore want to conclude that CS should not be treated as an interference since it
does not always act as a detriment to language learning proficiency, but as a useful strategy in
classroom interaction, if the purpose to make the meaning clear and to efficiently transfer the
knowledge to students. However, in the ELL environment, the use of the code-switching strategy
should be limited to ensure that the TL, English, is given the attention it deserves in the classroom.
46
Limitations of the Study and Recommendations for Future Research
While the study reported in this paper makes a contribution to research on CS, there are
certain limitations that should be borne in mind. The first limiting factor in this study is the small
number of participants, at least in terms of the statistical analyses. A second possible limitation is
the degree to which the findings can be generalized to other settings. That is, this study is only
limited to the teachers and students of the English department at the UCD. Therefore, the findings
or the results may not be generalizable to the whole population of teachers and students nationwide.
Another possible limitation is that Even though there were findings related to perceptions and
attitudes, no effort was made to determine why students and teachers felt the way they did about
CS. In particular, this research paper does not answer the question that deals with the factors that
influence their attitudes towards CS
For further study in the same line of inquiry, another part of code-switching is awaiting to
be explored. In this situation, if the present paper investigates the attitudes of both university
students and teachers towards code-switching and the function of code-switching in the EFL
classroom, it is important to understand the individual difference factors that affect the attitudes
towards the use of CS in the classroom. The findings of the study will approach ways that would
help the students to improve their language learning. Besides that, it is hoped that the findings of
this analysis will assist other researchers in better understanding the CS phenomena.
Based on the results of this study, it is recommended that the use of CS is sometimes needed
while using English for pedagogical purposes, so that students can achieve a certain level of
understanding. Furthermore, by enabling the students to switch codes, it is predicted that they can
build and boost their confidence in their ability to communicate meaning in their interactions.
Another recommendation is that teachers should not use code-switching randomly as it would
confuse the students in their interpretation of the message. Teachers should introduce to
47
their students how to use CS in communication because using CS as one of many techniques will
help teachers and students communicate in English more effectively.
48
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51
Students’ Appendix
Note: The aim of this questionnaire is to assess your attitudes and beliefs about code-switching
(i.e. the use of Moroccan Arabic words in the EFL classroom). Please, be informed that all the
collected data are confidential and will only be used for research purposes. So, we will be grateful
if you respond to all the following questions honestly as your answers will be helpful to better
understand your attitudes.
Part I: Students’ Demographic Data
1. Gender: □ Male. □ Female.

2. Age: □18 to 22 □23 to 28. □ 29 to 35 □ Above 35.
3. semester: 2□ 4□ 6□
Part II: Students’ CS Frequency

1. Do you use Code-Switching in your classrooms?
□ Yes. □ No.
Part III: Students’ Attitudes towards CS in the Classroom

The following items are composed with five boxes. We would like you to answer by choosing of
them. For instance, if you disagree with a statement, tick 2. If you strongly agree with a statement,
tick 5.
5(Strongly agree) 4(Agree) 3(Neutral) 2(Disagree) 1(Strongly disagree)
1. Instructors who switch codes from English to Moroccan Arabic are proficient in English.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
2. Instructors who codeswitch pollute languages.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
3. Instructors who switch codes from English to Moroccan Arabic can better discipline their
students.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
4. Instructors who code-switch from English to Moroccan Arabic can better engage their
students’ attention.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
5. Code-switching allows me to understand the topic better.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
6. Code-switching helps me in learning new words from the educators while they are
switching between English and Moroccan Arabic.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
7. Code-switching makes the discussions more interesting.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
52
8. Instructors who code-switch from English to Moroccan Arabic can better comment on their
students’ response.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
9. Instructors who switch codes from English to Moroccan Arabic can better praise their
students.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
10. Instructors who switch codes can better enliven the atmosphere of class (e.g. being
humorous).
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
11. Code-switching makes me feel more comfortable and confident in classrooms.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
12. Students who code-switch in the class are not proficient in English.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
13. Students who code-switch in the class are not proficient in English.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
53
Teacher’s Appendix
Note: The aim of this questionnaire is to assess your attitudes and beliefs about code-switching
(i.e. the use of Moroccan Arabic words in the EFL classroom). Please, be informed that all the
collected data are confidential and will only be used for research purposes. So, we will be grateful
if you respond to all the following questions honestly as your answers will be helpful to better
understand your attitudes.
Part I: Teachers’ Demographic Data

1. Gender:
□ Male. □ Female.
2. Age:
□ 26 to 35. □ 36 to 45.
□ 46 to 55. □ Above 55.

3. Experience in Teaching:
□ Less than 5 years. □ Between 5 to 10 years. □ More than 10
years.
4. Academic Rank:
□ Instructor. □ Assistant Professor. □ Associative Professor. □Professor.
Part II: Teachers’ CS Frequency

5. Do you use Code-Switching in your classrooms?
□ Yes. □ No.
Part II: Teachers’ attitudes towards CS in the classroom
The following items are composed with five boxes. We would like you to answer by choosing of
them. For instance, if you disagree with a statement, tick 2. If you strongly agree with a statement,
tick 5.
5(Strongly agree) 4(Agree) 3(Neutral) 2(Disagree) 1(Strongly disagree)
1. Instructors who switch codes from English to Moroccan Arabic are proficient in English
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
2. Instructors who codeswitch pollute languages.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
3. Teachers Code-switch due to the lack of culturally equivalent lexis
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
54
4. Instructors’ code-switching from English to Moroccan Arabic can better discipline their
students.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
5. Usage of Code-switching attracts the students’ attention.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
6. I Code-switch while teaching in order to help my students understand better
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
7. Code-switching helps me to convey meaning easily to students.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
8. Using Code-switching while illustrating new terms helps the students to learn better.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
9. Code-switching enables the students to boost up their second language skills.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
10. Instructors who code-switch can better comment on their students’ response.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
11. Instructors who switch codes from English to Moroccan Arabic can better praise their
students.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
12. Teachers who code-switch can better enliven the class atmosphere (e.g. make a joke for
humor).
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
13. Code-switching helps me to bond strongly with my students.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
14. Code-switching makes the students feel more comfortable and confident while learning.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
15. Students who code-switch in the class are proficient in English.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
16. Students who code-switch in the class are proficient in English.
5□ 4□ 3□ 2□ 1□
55

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University Students and Teachers’ Attitudes towards

Code-Switching in the Classroom: The English

Department as a Case Study

A Monograph Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

Submitted by Mouad Fekkar

Department of English, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, El Jadida

Supervised by Dr. Soufiane Abouabdelkader

Keywords: code-switching; EFL classroom; SLA; Higher educational institutions

encouragement, impulse, guidance, and constructive criticism provided by a number of individuals,

whom I would like to thank in the following lines.

First of all, I want to express my sincere and heartfelt gratitude to my B. A supervisor

at the Chouaib Doukkali University, professor Soufiane Abouabdelkader, for guiding me

me to follow their footsteps and become a future English teacher.

financially and for their understanding and unconditional love.

This research is lovingly dedicated to my respective parents, Abderahmane and Naima,

• EFL: English Foreign Language

• ELL: English Language Learning

• ELT: English Language Teaching

• ESL: English Second Language

• L1: First Language

• L2: Second Language

• TL: Target Language

switching, as it applies in most EFL/ESL contexts.

and communicate meanings.

sentential alternation) and code-switching (variation at the inter-sentential level).

In this study, both code-mixing (intra-sentential alternation) and code-switching (variation at

general practice in many classroom code-switching studies.

1.1. Statement of the Problem

EFL classroom to determine its significance on the process of ELL.

1.2. Rationale and Significance of the Study

Growing up in a multilingual community, I was always fascinated by the phenomenon of

Code-switching. As I began studying English at Chouaib Doukkali University, I became interested

of code-switching in the EFL classroom in particular as well as the functions of employing CS in

the educational context.

learning may be promoted.

1.3. Research Objectives

been given as follows:

• To contribute to the ongoing research on code-switching in the EFL classroom.

• To investigate the frequency of code-switching in the EFL classroom.

• To examine the functions of CS in the EFL classroom.

1.4. Research Questions

following research question:

and students’ code-switching in the EFL classroom?

1.5. Research Hypotheses

The hypotheses of this research paper are mainly fourfold:

switching in the classroom.

switching in the classroom.

1.6. Organization of the Study

listing of the references used in this work.

foreign language courses.

2.1. Codeswitching: A General Discussion

exchange of passages of speech belonging to two different grammatical systems or subsystems”

(Moroccan-Arabic Language), this is referred to as code-switching. Wardhaugh (1986) gave a

2.2. Types of Codeswitching:

Several scholars have attempted to develop a typological paradigm to explain the CS

tag-switching, inter-sentential switching, and intra-sentential switching. Tag-switching is

According to her, intra--sentential codeswitching occurs within a sentence or sentence fragment.

in English and finished in the Moroccan-Arabic.”