The Use of Tutor’s Code-Switching in English Classrooms and Its Implications for Students’ English Language Acquisition
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18592/let.v16i2.21470Keywords:
Bilingual education, code-switching, Classroom interaction, English language acquisition, Second language learningAbstract
Code-switching, the alternation between two or more languages within a conversation, is a common phenomenon in bilingual and multilingual classrooms, yet in Indonesian EFL settings such as UPB (Unit Pengembangan Bahasa) UIN Antasari Banjarmasin where students bring varying levels of English proficiency into a shared non-formal language unit the specific ways tutors use code-switching and how students perceive its impact remain underexplored, making this context a relevant site for closer investigation. This study examines the use of teachers' code-switching in English language classrooms and its implications for students' English language acquisition, drawing on sociolinguistic and second language acquisition theories to explore how code-switching functions as a pedagogical tool to facilitate learning. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, data were collected through classroom observations and interviews with an English tutor and 10 students at UPB UIN Antasari Banjarmasin. The findings reveal that teachers frequently switch between English and Bahasa Indonesia to clarify concepts, explain grammar rules, introduce new vocabulary, and encourage student participation; while code-switching aids comprehension, excessive use may hinder students' exposure to the target language, and students acknowledge its benefits but also express the need for more English immersion to improve their proficiency. The study suggests that code-switching should be strategically employed to scaffold learning while gradually promoting English as the primary medium of instruction, with further research recommended to examine the long-term impact of code-switching on language acquisition across different proficiency levels.
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