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The Frontiers of Society, Science and Technology, 2023, 5(18); doi: 10.25236/FSST.2023.051802.

A Study of Code-switching in University English Classrooms: Perceptions of English Majors in China

Author(s)

Wanru Zhao1, Chengchieh Su2

Corresponding Author:
Chengchieh Su
Affiliation(s)

1School of Foreign Languages, Zhaoqing University, Zhaoqing, China

2School of Foreign Languages, Zhaoqing University, Zhaoqing, China

Abstract

Numerous studies have shown that teachers’ use of code-switching as a teaching strategy in the English classroom can help learners better understand and master the target language. However, learners’ perceptions of teachers’ use of code-switching in the English classroom remain to be explored. In this study, a questionnaire survey was conducted among English undergraduates at Zhaoqing University in Guangdong Province, China, which showed that the learners’ perceptions of teachers’ use of code-switching as a teaching strategy were positive, and they agreed that teachers’ use of most students’ native language could help them master the target language. However, it was also found that overuse of the mother tongue in the English classroom is not favored, and code-switching could be effective if it is properly used and the English expressions learned are highly culturally informative. Pedagogical suggestions are put forward in the hope of providing references for university English instruction and teaching reform.

Keywords

Code-switching; University English classroom; English majors; Empirical research

Cite This Paper

Wanru Zhao, Chengchieh Su. A Study of Code-switching in University English Classrooms: Perceptions of English Majors in China. The Frontiers of Society, Science and Technology (2023) Vol. 5, Issue 18: 6-10. https://doi.org/10.25236/FSST.2023.051802.

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