Module Overview: This module explores the fluid and skillful ways multilingual speakers use their linguistic resources. We will delve into the concept of 'linguistic codes' and focus specifically on the phenomena of code-switching and code-mixing. For too long, these practices have been viewed as haphazard or as evidence of incomplete language acquisition. This chapter reframes them as sophisticated, rule-governed communicative strategies. As an educator committed to transparent teaching, understanding the 'why' behind these practices allows you to build a more engaging and supportive community of educators who can, in turn, create classrooms that honor the full linguistic identities of their students.

Enduring Understanding:

Understanding the notion of linguistic codes, including code-switching and code-mixing, and their social functions.

Module Purpose:

• To define and differentiate between the concepts of linguistic code, code-switching, and code-mixing.
• To analyze the complex social and pragmatic functions of these language practices.
• To challenge deficit-oriented views of code-switching and reframe it as a communicative asset.
• To provide teacher trainers with practical strategies for leveraging students' translanguaging practices as a pedagogical tool.

Desired Results: By the end of this four-part module, you will be able to:

• Clearly explain the difference between intrasentential switching (code-mixing) and intersentential switching (code-switching).
• Identify and analyze the social motivations behind why a speaker might switch codes (e.g., to signal identity, build rapport, or manage a conversation).
• Advocate for pedagogical approaches that view students' home languages as a resource, not a barrier.
• Design and facilitate training activities that help teachers see and utilize the linguistic skills their students already possess.
• Develop a personal framework for responding to code-switching and code-mixing in a way that is both linguistically informed and supportive of the learner.

Core Reading: Beyond "One Language at a Time"

Multilingual speakers do not have multiple, separate languages stored in their brains like books on a shelf. Instead, they possess a single, integrated linguistic repertoire from which they draw to communicate effectively (Grosjean, 2010). The different languages, dialects, and registers within this repertoire are often referred to as linguistic codes. The act of selecting which code to use—and, more strikingly, of alternating between them—is a highly skilled and socially meaningful practice. For English language teachers, recognizing the skill involved is the first step toward transforming the classroom into a space that reflects the linguistic reality of our globalized world.

The most visible manifestation of this practice is code-switching, which refers to the alternation between two or more languages or language varieties in the course of a single conversation. It's a broad term that encompasses different types of switching. Some scholars make a distinction between code-switching and code-mixing. In this framework, code-switching (or intersentential switching) occurs at the boundary of a sentence or clause.

Dialogue 1: Intersentential Code-Switching (Between Sentences)