Abstract
THIS CHAPTER REVIEWS the major issues in the study of code-switching (CS), which is defined as the alternate use of two or more languages in the same utterance. Initially, CS was seen as aberrant linguistic behavior (Weinreich 1953), but the current consensus is that bilinguals code-switch simply because they can, and they use it to serve a variety of functions, as is demonstrated in this chapter. CS is a routine linguistic behavior among bilinguals when they interact with community members in numerous bilingual contexts around the world, and it is a well-established bilingual practice among Spanish-speaking immigrants and their offspring in the United States. As such, the main findings regarding the nature of, functions of, and attitudes toward CS merit the attention of anyone involved with heritage language pedagogy.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Spanish as a Heritage Language in the United States |
| Subtitle of host publication | The State of the Field |
| Publisher | Georgetown University Press |
| Pages | 139-157 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Volume | 9781589019393 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781589019393 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781589019386 |
| State | Published - 2012 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Arts and Humanities
- General Social Sciences