Code-Switching in the EFL Classroom: Friend or Foe?

Abstract

Bilingual speakers tend to switch codes when they communicate due to different reasons such as comfort, negotiation of meaning, mutual adjustment, and better comprehension. It is widely believed that bilingual learners code-switch because they have a poor level of proficiency in the second language. One of the goals of this article is to find out why Costa Rican bilingual students and teachers switch codes and what factors influence this behavior. For this purpose, a survey was carried out among both Costa Rican EFL students and professors. Additionally, the study seeks to identify when code-switching could be helpful for students’ learning.