The Purposes of Code-Switching and Teachers’ Perceptions toward Code-Switching in Malaysian Primary Schools

Abstract

This particular study is conducted to find out the purposes of teachers' codeswitching in the primary schools, the perceptions of teachers toward using students’ first language in the classrooms, and the amount of the usage of codeswitching in primary schools. A total number of 82 primary school English language teachers from the Johor Bahru state of Malaysia took part in this study. In order to collect comprehensive data from the participants, the researcher applied a mixed-method design. Quantitative data was collected through the Google Form questionnaire, which was sent to the teachers via WhatsApp, and Qualitative data was collected through interviews with five English language teachers of primary schools. The analysis of both types of data showed that the teachers use students’ L1 for three purposes, pedagogical, administrative, and interactional, but mainly students’ L1 was utilized as a pedagogical tool to facilitate language learning and as an administrative strategy to create a less threatening and learner-friendly environment. The results of the study also indicated that the majority of the teachers in the primary schools of Johor switch to students’ L1 to accommodate low proficiency learners and explain difficult concepts such as grammar and vocabulary to the learners. Eighty percent of the participant agreed to minimize the use of L1 in second language learning classrooms.