On Code Switching In Secondary School Students’ Chinese Class Under The Bilingual Education System Of Singapore

Singapore’s bilingual language policy is a cornerstone of the Singapore education system. Code Switching, especially among the youths, is a natural phenomenon of language contact, which cannot be avoided, given the bilingual and multilingual context in Singapore. However, there is indeed a lack of empirical research to explain the Code Switching behaviors of the ethnically Chinese secondary students in the Chinese As a Second Language Classrooms.This study aims to examine the nature of Code Switch and to investigate the determinants of Code Switching between the Chinese/English among the ethnic Chinese secondary students. The study also provides pedagogical recommendations for the teaching of Chinese language in the bilingual system of Singapore based on the theoretical aspects of research on Code Switching.The study firstly discusses the literary reviews on Code Switching, followed by a clarification of the research on the structural features of Code Switching. It then critically reviews sociological, anthropological, psychological and linguistic perspectives dominating the sociolinguistics research on Code Switching. Data was collected by means of classroom observations, audio recordings and questionnaires to document the students’Code Switching behaviors. Information was obtained from a qualitative survey from secondary one to four students across the secondary schools in Singapore. Fieldwork, such as classroom observations and audio recordings were also conducted with students in different schools during their Chinese lessons. The empirical research highlights these findings:1. The classroom observations revealed several clear behaviors of developments in students for the Chinese learning in the bilingual system. Code Switching in the Second Language (Chinese) classroom is unavoidable. The first language (English) plays an essential part in learning of a Second Language (Chinese).2. Students use intra-sentential code-switching more frequently than inter-sentential by inserting more English words, sentences or broken sentences in Mandarin utterances during conversations. These findings indicate that Code Switching, especially among the youth, is a natural phenomenon of our language contact, which cannot be avoided in the bilingual and multilingual context as it subsequently, also helps to achieve better interactions and communications in their peers. 3. The factors of Metaphorical Code Switching were the main functions of Code Switching by the students. Their Code Switches demonstrated an awareness of their interlocutors’background, and reflected their ethnic and bilingual identity. The analysis of the Situational Code Switching and Metaphorical Code Switching patterns revealed the students’L2(Chinese) deficiency, rather than their bilingual communicative competence. Students, who were more proficient in English, code switched more frequently by inserting English words into their Mandarin utterances.4. A growing proportion of the young generation being competent in two or more languages indicates the successful implementation of the bilingual education system in Singapore. Secondary students generally have a positive attitude towards Singapore’s bilingual policy. Most of the students think that it is important to learn both the Chinese and English languages, perceiving that the mastery of both the languages will lead to a higher social status and better job opportunities in future.5. Due to the steady shift of the language environment in Singapore over the last few decades, students are using English more widely in their daily lives. English has been replacing Chinese and dialects and has gradually become the base language of the Chinese community. Increasingly, students from English speaking backgrounds find difficulties learning Chinese. These students tended to switch codes and use English as the matrix language and Mandarin as the embedded language for conversational purposes.6. The observation of the functions of Code Switching emphasized the need to better understand the application of methodologies in the classroom and their roles in the students’learning of the Second Language (Chinese). Thus, code switching should be treated as a normal linguistic and social phenomenon, and no bias should be taken towards the existence and use of it in the context of Singapore.The implications of this study are wide. A better understanding of Code Switching will provide new insights into the teaching of Chinese as a second language in Singapore.