Code‐switching in conversation‐for‐learning: Creating opportunities for learning while on study abroad

Abstract

AbstractThis article evaluates the use of audio‐recorded conversations and reflections for assisting study abroad participants in critically analyzing conversational interactions. The participants recorded a series of conversations with native speakers of Japanese using digital audio recorders, and, subsequently, analyzed the recordings in a journal and a final paper. After noticing the use of code‐switching by native speakers of Japanese, the participants concluded that the use of English code‐switching was disadvantageous to their learning process. This article explores code‐switching in conversations recorded on study abroad to examine if code‐switching creates opportunities for learning and, if so, what conclusions learners/researchers made based on their observations and analysis. The native speakers used code‐switching for various purposes: repairing a source of trouble, indexing their identities as speakers of another language, and marking opportunities for learning. The results exposed the participants’ misconceptions and demonstrated that code‐switching offered opportunities for learning.