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Part of
Prediction in Second Language Processing and Learning
Edited by Edith Kaan and Theres Grüter
[Bilingual Processing and Acquisition 12] 2021
► pp. 139–166

Chapter 7
Code-switching

A processing burden, or a valuable resource for prediction?

| UiT The Arctic University of Norway
| University of Florida
Monolinguals use various linguistic phenomena to guide prediction while comprehending. For bilinguals, the richer linguistic landscape provides additional resources. Code-switches (CS) are a particularly salient event, which could play a role in bilingual prediction. Despite the ubiquity and diverse functions of code-switching, experimental research has focused on CS processing costs, largely in comprehension (Litcofsky & Van Hell, 2017). Despite apparent integration costs, code-switching can facilitate subsequent language processing, due to natural code-switching patterns. We illustrate this approach with two eye-tracking studies suggesting that code-switches are used as a cue that a less frequent or negative word follows. These studies underscore the need to integrate socio-pragmatic and corpus-modeling observations with experimentation to reach a comprehensive understanding of CS processing (Myers-Scotton, 2006).
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Illustrative Study 1: Can code-switching signal less expected upcoming lexical information?
  • Illustrative Study 2: Can code-switching ease the processing of taboo or negative information?
  • General discussion
    • Potential mechanisms underlying the CS effect
    • Factors modulating how CS affects prediction
  • Conclusions
  • Acknowledgments
  • References
Published online: 22 September 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/bpa.12.07tom
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