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Part of
Speaking in a Second Language
Edited by Rosa Alonso Alonso
[AILA Applied Linguistics Series 17] 2018
► pp. 175–196

Chapter 8
Code-switching in the Spanish heritage language classroom

Communicative and cognitive functions

| University of Washington

Code-switching is a common practice among bilingual speakers, including Spanish heritage language learners. Research on Spanish-English bilinguals in the United States has provided plenty of evidence documenting the use of code-switching in daily conversation with a variety of communicative and social functions. In the Spanish heritage language classroom, however, code switching is generally frowned upon. In this setting, the goal is to minimize the use of English in order to develop the formal academic register, where code switching is not acceptable. However, in this chapter I provide evidence that, in the context of the Spanish heritage language classroom, English can serve important social, communicative, and cognitive functions, and, when used efficiently, mediate Spanish language learning.

Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Background
  • The study
    • Setting
    • Participants
    • Data collection
    • Data analysis
  • Functions of English in the Spanish heritage language classroom
    • Metacognitive function
    • Metalinguistic function
    • Conversational function
  • Conclusions and pedagogical implications
  • References
Published online: 12 April 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/aals.17.08dob
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