The Code-Switching Patterns of Highly English-Proficient Spanish-English Bilinguals

Date of Submission

Spring 2024

Document Type

Closed Research Project

Degree Name

Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology

Department

Speech-Language Pathology

First Advisor

Lourdes Martinez-Nieto, PhD

Abstract

All bilingual speakers code switch. Code-switching (CS) is defined as the practice of alternating between two or more languages or varieties of language in conversation (Oxford Dictionary). In the U.S., 20% of the population is bilingual. Of these 20%, 41 million (62%) speak Spanish (Census Bureau, 2022). Previous research states that the reason behind CS is that bilinguals lack proficiency in their second language. However, more recent studies state this is not the only case and other factors exist. This includes settings, situations, easier to convey a message (Stavans, 1992), lack of proficiency, and habitual experience (Suhardianto, 2022). The purpose of this study is to explore the CS patterns used in highly English proficient Spanish-English bilinguals. Method: Fifteen bilingual Spanish-English participants participated in this study. The objective of the present study is to explore the CS patterns used in highly English proficient Spanish-English bilinguals. Using a 37 item Qualtrics survey, participants responded to the Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q, Kaushanskaya, 2018), the Bilingual Switching Questionnaire (BSWQ, Rodriguez-Fornells et al., 2012), and a bilingual email/message task (Hofweber & Marinis, 2018). Results: CS patterns indicate that participants often use CS when in situational contexts but showed great control as they don’t use CS unintentionally. Additionally, findings indicate that highly English proficient bilingual individuals are more likely to use intersentential CS when given a written prompt and consciously know that they are CS when put into contextual situations.

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