Code- Switching and Communication

As society becomes more blended, people of different cultures and backgrounds are navigating the complex relational dynamics of multicultural cohabitation. Historically, ethnic minorities within a dominant culture group have been expected to assimilate to the standards set by the dominant group. Code-switching is the term used to define transitioning from one’s native language to another or from one dialect to another within a single language. Current research implies that code-switching can be limiting for student minorities in regards to their range of expression and depth of writing. In a study conducted by a professor in a community college classroom, the professor assigned his students a writing assignment, using jargon and languagethey were most comfortable with (Gallagher 2019). One overriding theme found in the study determined that comfortability with the language used was directly correlated to the improvement of the student’s writing. Following the results of various studies, research implies that code-meshing, as opposed to code-switching, is advantageous for students’ success. Code meshing here can be defined as the blending of dialects or languages to best fit an individual’s unique experiences with language. Conclusions from this study and others implied that code meshing was more beneficial and inclusive for individuals of ethnic divergence within the university setting. This study’s aim is to identify the experiences of college students in using code-switching and ultimately to improve the experiences of ethnic minorities in predominately white spaces