A Study Of Teachers' English-Chinese Code-Switching In The College English Intensive Reading Classroom Of Non-English Majors

With the development of education internationalization and globalization,the chance of language contact is increasing enormously.Code-switching,as one of the consequences in the process of language contact,has became a hot issue in the linguistic field.Teachers' code-switching used in the language teaching is not only an effective strategy to impart knowledge,organize classroom activities and create active learning atmosphere,but also a vital factor for the target language input of the language learners.Therefore,it plays a crucial role in the foreign language teaching classroom.In recent years,linguists and scholars abroad have paid much attention to study the frequency and functions of teachers' code-switching,but linguistic experts and scholars at home focus on the investigation of attitudes to code-switching and application of code-switching.What's more,studies at home have been made on English majors rather than non-English majors.In view of the research background,it is of great value to make empirical studies on teachers' English-Chinese code-switching in Chinese college English intensive reading classroom of non-English majors.Taking Krashen's Input Hypothesis and Yu Guodong's Adaptation Model as theoretical bases,the present study investigated the frequency,types and contexts of occurrence of teachers' English-Chinese code-switching in college English intensive reading classroom of non-English majors,analyzed teachers' and students' attitudes to code-switching in class,and explored influencing factors of teachers' English-Chinese code-switching,with 21 college English teachers and 189 non-English major students involved in the questionnaire survey and the interview,as well as ten classes in Xi'an Polytechnic University randomly chosen for classroom observations.Thus,on the basis of micro-study of classroom observations,questionnaires and interviews were employed for macro-investigation.Based on the quantitative and qualitative analysis,there are some major findings: 1)Teachers' English-Chinese code-switching prevails in college English intensive reading classroom of non-English majors,including inter-sentential code-switching,intra-sentential code-switching and tag switching.These code-switching usually occur when teaching texts,explaining key words and grammar,explicating exercises as well as assigning homework or issuing orders.2)Both teachers and students hold positive attitudes to teachers' English-Chinese code-switching,but as for the proper amount of code-switching used in class,most investigated students prefer that teachers say more Chinese in class to assist them in English learning.3)The potential causes of teachers' English-Chinese code-switching lie in the adaptations to linguistic reality,social conventions and psychological motivations.Particularly,the adaptations to linguistic reality and social conventions are the main reasons,such as explaining grammar,improving teaching efficiency,facilitating understanding,emphasizing key points,promoting feedback and so on.This research is not only enlightening for teachers and students to have a comprehensive understanding on code-switching,but also inspiring and meaningful for teachers and students to promote college English teaching and learning.