Code-switching in the Spanish heritage language classroom

Abstract

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.

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