Afterword [Codeswitching in University English-medium classe]

Abstract

A common theme which runs through the chapters in this book is the disconnections between official policy and the beliefs many teachers have that only one language should be used in the classroom - and what actually happens in the classroom. The studies in this volume consistently describe teaching situations where teachers do use more than one language – typically the first language of their students (and their own) – yet report being uncomfortable about this as they feel it either transgresses official policy or that it does not represent best practice. This is why this volume is so important. As Macaro notes in his inspiring introduction, ‘classroom codeswitching research is in desperate need of some theorising’. As Macaro also notes, whether and to what extent the L1 should be used in L2 classrooms is the most ‘fundamental question facing SLA today’. In David Li’s word (this volume), ‘the bilingual teacher’s dilemma is when to use the L1 and how to strike a balance between L1 and L2 use’. The aims of this volume are to help the multilingual teacher solve that dilemma in his or her specific context and to help policymakers become better-informed about the pedagogical and practical issues involved. The need for theorising is made further evident when we note that many of the teachers in the studies reported here use codeswitching (CS) for different purposes. For example, while in Thailand ‘English only’ in the English classroom is the standard mantra, this is evidently not followed. But, of the two teachers surveyed, one used far less CS than the other: Elspeth’s lessons revealed ‘extensive use of Thai with little use of English’, while Bessie used less CS. Bessie used it for affective purposes such as praising. Most interestingly, she also used Thai politeness markers when speaking English, presumably because she felt it was important to display Thai solidarity with her students.