Code Switching and Mobile Phones in ESL

1.0 Introduction to code switching

In this era of globalization and modernization, many of people were used more than one or more language in the conversation and community. The term of code switching, or sometimes maybe write in ‘codes witching’ or ‘code-switching’. This is broadly used and discuss in a variety of related field and linguistics. A database on the 2005 year, a search of the Language Behaviour Abstract and linguistics shows more than 1800 articles on the subject published in virtually on every branch of the linguistics. Nevertheless, despite on this ubiquity or perhaps in part of it, the scholarship does not seem to share the definition of the terms. Aside from that this perhaps is inevitable, given from the different concerns of the linguists, such like anthropologists, psycholinguists, sociolinguists, philosophers and so on. Since the code switching is studies from many and different perspective, the paper will necessary seems to omit the important element to the literature. On the other hand, many of the works are labelled ‘code switching’, this is interest in morph syntactic constrains and syntactic on the language alternation. Alternately, the studies of language acquisition, the second language acquisition, and the language if using the term code switching to describe either language learners’ or bilingual speakers’ cognitive linguists language, to describe the classroom or the learners practice involving the using of more than one or more language. The codes switch refers to the different of speech in the content. For example, the formal language or the informal language, or different languages like Spanish and English. The student who were bilingual or came from the different culture and background are noted their ability code switch. Because of the standard language are not their primary language and this matter let the student added the effort to speak accordingly in the standard form one language to another.

2.0 Factors that cause ESL Learners to code switch

2.0.1 Mother language

Since they are child, they were speaking with the mother language and do not use the English language to speaking to each other, so this matter will cause the children stammer when they speaking the English to others. To further illustration on this point, for the Indian, they will speak in Tamil; for the Malay people, they will speak in Malay; for the Chinese people, they will speak in Cantonese or Chinese. Since they were still small, their parent and family never instill the other language such as the English language, so lead their children were cannot understand the English, and speaking with the English very well.

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2.0.2 Parent’s education

For those parents who just study for a few years, their academic and language level just common, and cannot teach and correct their child very well and formal. Sometimes they speaking with the broken language in front of their children, then their children suit their parents too. Owing to this matter, the relevant parents cannot become a good role model to the children. On the contrary, for the family which is the economy is better, they never and not allow their children to the learning central for have a better learning, their purpose is save the money so they never send the children to the learning central. Thus, they prefer to spent on something not worth it, like the famous brand of the nags, shirts, watch and a lots.

2.0.3 Teacher’s education

Basically, the school education was the formal to every student. Nonetheless, some teacher was never correct student mistake. For instance, when students was saying ‘Teacher, boleh saya pergi toilet?’ Actually, the teacher may correct the sentences to ‘Teacher, may I go to toilet?’ With this case, many of the teachers were often neglect it and never correct it, so this may cause the students to be a habit. Above all, the teacher who teaching the English lesson should organize some activities all about the English language, but they did not do it. This is because some of the teacher was busy for their own personal things or lazy to organize it.

2.0.4 Education

Based to the Chinese, Indian and Malay people they were not all the people that educated by the English. On the contrary, mostly parents were sent them to the school which is suit to their own race school. Owing to this reason, the language they mostly learning is their own language although have learning the English. Nevertheless, even their have the learning English skill, but they will spoke out their own language at wherever even if the school too.

2.1 Methods to overcome code switching

2.1.1 School education

Every school must educated the children correctly, especially kindergarten, primary school and secondary school, this is because the basic is learn since a child. The school should arrangement some teacher who was professional in English language so that can teach the students speaking in English, or teaching the writing skill too. Aside from that, the school might organize some activities about the language of the English. We can take the example is the English programme, seminars, competition of the English story, oral English test, and so on about the English activities. This is due to the reason that students participants the activities above can train their courage and would not be afraid when face the problem of speaking in English, and would not be stammer when speaking in English.

2.1.2 Parent’s education

Every parent should be a good and perfect role model to their own child. This is because whatever parents did, the children will follow it like copy and paste. Henceforth, if the parents who cannot speak out the English as well as possible then do not say it out, this attitude was to prevent the children to learn this and speak like this. Frankly saying, every parent’s should send their children to the central which is learning the English. Many studies have pointed out that learning at the learning English central can learn many of the things which is include the grammar, writing skill, conversation, speech, and so on that about the English language. On the other hand, these kinds of the learning central also can teach the children about the team spirit, help to each other, and the polite of the social. In addition to that, every parents should give some motivate and push their children to reading and speaking in English.

2.1.3 Training

The children or the students who wants to improve the English level can via the reading of the English book or listen the radio which is the English station. This move is highly appropriated because the books were include many words that they never seen, more difficult, or always forgotten it. The children via these activities can approve their English as fast as possible if they were not forgo it. On top of that, they can approve their English by watching the English movie or the English songs. This is the light of the fact that the children or the students can speaking the English as fast as possible, and not afraid of speak it wrong.

3.0 Conclusion

In this world, the language of the English was general and widespread in all country and city. The language of the English is the one language that can communication to others community form others countries or cities. If someone were being unfamiliar with the English language, they will be eliminated by others, even if the get dirty looks, and ridicule by others. As a result, mostly people that without the education of the English, they English level were lower than others who were receive the education of the English. As a matter of fact, the people who do not know how to speak in the English they will mix the others language into a conversation, and this is name as ‘code switching’. To prevent the code switching occurs and happen, every one might improve the English level by training well as far as possible. Second to that, the school must pay attention to the students who was bad in English. Therefore, the school can take the action to solves and prevent the code switch occurs and happened in the school as fast as possible so as not to regret, and the students get the formal and correct English in learning. In addition to that, every teacher in the school may set oneself an example to others students so that the students would not have a bad habit. Apart from that, besides in the school and teachers, parents also have the responsibility to correct and to instill the right information to their own children, or they can sent them to the learning central. This is due to the reason that the children can learn the correct information from the learning central and to reduce the wrong. On the other hand, parents may push and give some motivate to their children for reading the English books, and watch the English drama or film.

4.0 Introduction to mobile phone

The system of the cellular telephone is the way that providing portable phone service. Every mobile phone was connected by a radio link to a base station. In contrast, the link that liked to the mobile phone’s network which is the biggest machine in the planet. In addition to that, for the radio link there is nothing special because it was used for many years. What is the smart is that the cellular system because the base station were covers with a limit area. And once the mobile phones were moved away, the mobile phone still can connect because the connection is through the neighbour base. Above all, this system is called pass to a teammate, and it allow all the mobile phone, at the same time, it also allow the reuse the base of frequency that nearby. Apart from that, in the world of the globalization and the modernization, every community and people were having their own phone and even the children too. On top of that, in 1982 the first automatic mobile phone service was launched in Australia and with the first cellular mobile phone service following too. And now, in the world that globalization and modernization, the technology has become the central of our everyday culture and life with day and day. Nowadays, the mobile phone was invented to many kinds, like the smartphones. And now the mobile phone was brings many convenient to the community and people, we can called someone as easily as we can, besides the call, we have the text messaging, we chat, line, Facebook, so on of the apps for communication so that we can get the information or the data as fast as possible that we receive. Furthermore, the mobile phone also can use to routine work, like for the stocks, schedules, dictionary, alarm ,and everything that we want, we can find on the mobile phones. Due to the reason that is because of our work, we ignore our health life and everything like exercise, having a meal on time, reminder. In addition, we also have a video call to each other when we overseas or have a chat together. In the pass, the person in the world does not have any communication because the technology not develops very well. Or maybe we have to a call to relatives or friends, their communication are using by the telegraph. On the other hand, they also get the important data or information by writing a letter. Long time ago, when the mobile phone was invented, they cannot have a face time to each other, they need a date for gathering, party and so on. Sometimes we want the get the data or information that we want, we need to have a research in the library, and this is a more trouble to them.

5.0 Advantages of bringing mobile phones to classroom

5.0.1 Emergency

Students that have a mobile phones in hand that can enable summoned assistance to someone when face emergency. Many studies have point out that the incidence that mostly occur in the school, like first aid, fire, get violence in the school, kidnapping and many possible that will happen in the school. When those students face those problem or these kinds of difficult, they can call someone as fast as possible.

5.0.2 Parents contact

The school shall allow every student to carry their own phone because of the necessary from parents. For instance, the emergency from a family, the carrier problem, or the students arrangement with different, they may have a call to each other ability. Sometime, students were can request by a call because of the forgotten bringing the books, project, assignment, or sometime vital.

5.0.3 Children location

Mostly mobile phones that has including the GPS sensor, the position of the mobile phone that has including the introduced the places in details. Moreover, parent can use it for pay more close attention for their child’s whereabouts. GPS sensor also provides the peace of mind to every parents and teacher for the missing students and children.

5.0.4 Memory Aids

These days, mostly of the mobile phones have the camera, so that the children or students can capture the notes or picture by using the camera. Due to the reason this is more effective to having all the notes and not missing one. To further illustrate on this point, most student were focus on copy the note and miss what the lecture talking about the lesson, or sometimes, students pay attention to the lecture but neglect the notes.

5.05 Learning Aids

Students can use the smartphones when in the lesson or class, they can use the apps of the education which is assist and design for the students. Based on the survey, the entire education program was similar and easy for learning in study. If a students need to search some datum for their work without the laptop or computer, they can use their phone immediately.

5.0.6 Dictionary

When students face the words the never seen before or do not understand the meaning of it, they need to search the meaning of it in the dictionary but forgotten to bring it or don’t want to bring it because of its weight. Students may use their dictionary in their smartphones. This is because it can lighten the weight of bag and save the times to search it because it more easy and fast.

5.0.7 Calendar

Almost every mobile phone has built-in the calendar function. For students, it could difficult to memorise everything. Such as the date of exam or pass up the homework, the deadline of pass up the project or assignment, so they can use this function to organize or distribute an alert for reminds them so that they will never forget it.

5.0.8 Voice notes

Students may use the mobile phones recording. The pros of using voice recording function are faster to notes down and record all the important things, and it is a best and quickly way to track what they need to do and what should they do. It is no denying that students not always have a direct notepad to note it, so the used of the mobile phone is useful to write down the important things.

5.0.9 Calculator

Most of the phone maintains the function of calculator. Mostly the high school need a calculator in the math course because they have many things to calculate such as the most calculation that we always used like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division.

5.0.10 Internet access

The one function in the mobile phone that most attract the students when break. Besides it was a functional tool to every student who studies in college or university. But some of the classroom cannot surf the internet so they need to bring the data for search the relevant information to complete the project or exercise.

6.0 Conclusion

It goes without saying that this implying this method will bring about a positive outcome on their studies. Although some of the students may not pay attention in the class because of he or she keep playing their phone. Due to the reason, most of the teachers or lectures were feeling annoyance about this case. Henceforth, they set a law that not allow students bringing their mobile phone to the school, once they bring it, or the staff and lecture discover, college or university will punish them. For example, they will give a warning letter, a verbal warming, or will seizure it. Therefore, we should think about from the perspective of the students. To be frank, mostly students were not understand the difficult words they not brave to ask their teacher or lecture, so they just can keep quiet and pass it. Second to that, the college or university life was more stress and pressure than the primary and secondary school. The students need to rush for their assignment, so that they more need the mobile phone to complete everything. We can take the example of the students who always search the relevant information form the website. If they forgot to bring their laptop or no laptop, the only way to search at website is using the mobile phone. Last but not lease, students also can get the homework or information from the websites as fast as possible. As such, all the college or university shall support all the students bring their phones to college or university and not ban them to bringing it to college or university.

References

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Google Books, (2014). Code-Switching in Conversation. [online] Available at: http://books.google.com.my/books?hl=en&lr=&id=DHk4-1SX3tYC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=introduction+to+code+switching&ots=VCO4IIsil4&sig=UsbcRlRNBb3sVlaBlyGBkKtM5Sc#v=onepage&q=introduction to code switching&f=false [Accessed 29 Jun. 2014].

Hairydog.co.uk, (2014). Introduction to Mobile Phones. [online] Available at: http://www.hairydog.co.uk/cell2.html [Accessed 1 Jul. 2014].

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