Learners’ code-switching in English as a Second Language (ESL) lessons: perspectives of four secondary school teachers in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The study investigated the perceptions of secondary school teachers of English on code-switching by learners in the learning of English. The qualitative inquiry focused on one rural day, and one urban boarding school. The study employed interviews with four teachers from the two schools.  Results show that from the perspective of the teachers, their ESL learners code-switched from English to the learners’ L1 as a learning tool, mainly to foster understanding among learners and between the learners and their teachers, and for other communicative and social functions. The teachers expressed an appreciation of their learners’ code-switching but there were also negative sentiments. The study recommends that language policy planners revisit the English-only policy in schools and consider adopting the endo-normative rather than the exo-normative model of English for the education system. The study also recommends that the responsible Ministry should hold workshops to sensitise teachers on how code-switching may be tolerated and exploited as a language learning tool. Furthermore, the study recommends that ESL teachers be guided by the Postmethod pedagogy, a sense of plausibility as well as the notion of relativism in their decisions on whether or not to allow their learners to code-switch. In addition, the inquiry recommends that the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council be sensitive to aspects of the local variety of English rather than set exo-normative models. Finally, the study recommends that further research be done on code-switching in school types which were not included in the sample for the present study.