English-Arabic Code Switching in Jordanian EFL Teachers' Discourse

Abstract

This study draws on a case study of four Arabic-speaking EFL teachers in two Jordanian schools, and their code switching between the first language (L1) and the second language (L2) over the course of eight foreign language classes, where English was the L2 and Arabic was the L1 of the learners. It analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively the types of code switching to L1 made by female teachers in EFL classes, namely, sentential, intersentential, and intrasentential. The study also analyzed 106 EFL female teachers' responses to a questionnaire to find out the reasons for code switching to L1 in their EFL classrooms. The findings of the study revealed that teachers switch frequently to L1 in their EFL classes, and their switches vary in terms of type depending on the students' English language proficiency level. The study also revealed that teachers switch from L2 to L1 to perform a number of functions. Implications for EFL teaching are drawn.