Tibetan/English code-switching practices in the Tibetan diaspora classrooms: perceptions of select 6th grade teachers

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe role of the mother tongue-based schooling of Tibetan children has been debated passionately in the Tibetan Diaspora since 1985. Dharamsala, India, the seat of the Tibetan Diaspora, is the research site. Tibetan children are instructed in all school subjects in the Tibetan language up until 6th grade at which time the language of instruction is switched to English. Teachers play a vital role in helping students overcome linguistic barriers associated with this transitional phase. Hence, this study sought to identify intentionality and frequency with which 6th grade Tibetan teachers alternate the language of instruction between English and Tibetan and their reasons for doing so in different content areas. A questionnaire was administered to 21 (9 male, 12 female) 6th grade Tibetan teachers in two different schools. It was noted that 57% of the participants engaged in intentional code-switching ‘sometimes,’ while 33% indicated ‘frequently.’ As predicated, teachers teaching lexically dense math and science subjects reported that they used intentional code-switching 100% during their instruction, while social studies teachers intentionally utilised this method only 50%. Over half of the respondents (53%) stated that they employed code switching as a scaffolding strategy, especially for conceptual understanding and reinforcement.