Higher education English as Foreign Language (EFL) instructors’ Code-switching (CS) practices in Ethiopia: patterns and functions in focus

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate higher education EFL instructors’ code-switching patterns and functions. The data were gathered through classroom observations, audio recordings, and semi-structured interviews. The study was conducted at Mekelle University, and the participants were instructors of the Department of English Language and Literature. A descriptive research design (case study) and a mixed research method were used. A total of 24 lessons lasting 2400 minutes were recorded, and six instructors participated in the interviews. This sample size was taken based on Singh’s sample size determination. The study shows that the instructors’ CS frequencies increased as the students’ class year that they were teaching increased. The instructors of all class years employed inter-sentential CS more dominantly. The inter-sentential pattern of CS that the instructors were employing in the different class years has many functions in the EFL classes. CS helps the teaching and learning of English if it is handled properly. However, the instructors’ use of CS had to decrease as the students’ class year went up and when the students’ EFL performance improved. The instructors’ overuse of CS diminishes students’ exposure to the target language and their practice of the English language in classes where English is a foreign language. Therefore, the instructors’ CS patterns and functions should vary depending on their students’ class years. In short, the instructors should re-evaluate their CS practices and employ them depending on their students’ CS desires and class years. Finally, it is recommended that instructors use CS as a teaching strategy in EFL classrooms, but they should regulate its deployment when teaching students in different class years.