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Code Switching is a phenomenon that happens when two languages come in contact. One can simply define code switching as the switch from one language to another. Therefore, one can suggest that this happens to someone who understands or uses two language as a tool of communication; that is bilinguist. According to Claudia (2005), he affirms that Code-switching is a widespread phenomenon in bilingual speech, and it is therefore not surprising that a great proportion of research on bilingualism focuses on this topic. Therefore, in a conversation a bilinguist tends to use two languages alternately; this poses that the participants of the conversation are familiar with the languages used in conversation. Therefore, one can assert that most of the participants are also bilinguists.

It is imperative for one to define what code switching is. Poplack, S. (2014) defines Code-switching  as but one of a number of the linguistic manifestations of language contact and mixing, which variously include borrowing on the lexical and syntactic levels, language transfer, linguistic convergence, interference, language attrition, language death, pidginization and creolization, among others.
In the examination of this definition, it will be necessary if one define the cogent terms used by Poplack to define his relationship. Firstly, language contact and mixing refers to the point whereby two languages coexist together with one functioning as the home language or indigenous and the other as foreign language. The latter term (foreign language) is different  from a language functioning as a foreign language in bilingualism.  Here, the foreign language means that it is a new language that does not exist naturally but was brought to a linguistic context by foreigners  through commerce or religion. For instance, English functions as a foreign language in the Yoruba African society whereby Yoruba serves as an indigenous or native language.
Another term to explicate is the term of interference or what is known as language interference.
Dulay et al (1982) define interference as the automatic transfer, due to habit, of the surface structure of the first language onto the surface of the target language.
Further, Lott (1983: 256) explains interference as ‘errors in the learner’s use of the foreign language that can be traced back to the mother tongue’. Ellis (1997: 51) also refers to interference as ‘transfer’, which he says is ‘the influence that the learner’s L1 exerts over the acquisition of an L2′. Therefore interference basically happen  speakers language interferes with the their second language
Furthermore, one needs to define the concept of Pidgin or creolization.  On the one hand, Yule (1985) defines pidgin as "a variety of a language which developed for some practical purpose such as trading among different languages with who had a lot of contact." On the other hand, Parviz and Laleh (2016) asserts that When a pidgin develops beyond its role as a trade language and becomes the first language of a social community it is called a creole e.g. Hawaii. This process is known as creolization.

In addition, it is important for one to mention different types of code switching. The first one is known as 'Psycholinguistically conditioned code-switching, or non-functional code-switching', is non intentional,  Clyne (1991: 193) asserts that it just“happens” in the conversation of bilinguals and is promoted by so-called trigger words, which are defined as “words at the intersection of two language systems, which, consequently,may cause speakers to lose their linguistic bearings and continue the sentence in the other language”.
Another type is the one given by Clyne (1967) which is bilingual homophones, words that sound the same or nearly the same in the two (or more) languages (or language systems) of the speaker. The last is known as trigger-words - lexical transfers that are phonologically unintegrated (or integrated at a low level only) in the language of interaction.

In conclusion, one can assert that code switching is an important aspect of bilingualism and also its understanding will help researchers in understanding the scope of second language acquisition by second language speakers. Finally, the paper has been able to define and explicate what code switching is and the cogent terms used by Poplack in his definition.









Ellis, Rod. Understanding Second Language Acquisition. 1986. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Shastri, Pratima Dave. Communicative Approach To The Teaching Of English as A Second Language. 2010. Mumbai: Himalaya Publishing House.
Surono. Guidelines on Applied Linguistics. 2013. Yogyakarta.Electronic sources:
http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/iej/articles/v1n1/bhela/bhela.pdf (Taken on Monday, April 2nd, 2013 at 20.00) http://www.education.com/definition/language-transfer/ (Taken on Monday, April 2nd, 2013 at 20.13)
http://eprints.stainsalatiga.ac.id/79/1/99-115.pdf (Taken on Monday, April 2nd, 2013 at 20.20)




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Oluwole, Taiwo Adebowale.

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