EFL Teachers' Code-switching In Uyghur Junior Class

Generally speaking, code-switching is a common phenomenon in language contact, both in bilingual and multilingual environment. It refers to circumstances in which a speaker uses two or more than two language varieties (Yao Shanshan, 2007). In multilingual context, classroom discourse is realized and maintained by means of code-switching which also characterizes teachers'classroom discourse. Teacher code-switching, the alternate use of more or more languages in the same utterance or conversation, is a quite common occurrence in English classrooms. This study intends to investigate into EFL teachers'code-switching in Uyghur classrooms.This thesis, based on Jef Verschueren's Adaptation Theory,made a pragmatic analysis of the code-switching of Uyghur teachers. In Xinjiang, English-Chinese, English-Uyghur, Chinese-Uyghur code-switching is an important strategy in EFL classroom. The present study is a case study carried out in No.7 Middle School in Yining city in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region where three junior English teachers and their students were chosen subjects. An analysis was made on the data collected through questionnaires, classroom observations and teacher interviews.The findings consist of several aspects. First, teachers'code-switching is a common phenomenon in Uyghur EFL classrooms. Second, teachers'code switch mainly for in grammar explanation, text explanation, new words explanation, classroom management and cultural introduction. Third, most teachers held a positive view toward teachers'appropriate code-switching, which, according to them, could help Uyghur students learn English well. Based on the analysis of the data, this study concludes that the EFL teachers'code-switching plays a complementary and facilitative part in English classrooms. It is necessary to switch from English to Chinese, English to Uyghur to explain grammar and usage of words, and classroom management.The present study has important practical implications for Uyghur EFL teachers as well as departmental administrators; teachers are advised to make conscious use of Uyghur-English code. Department administrators are advised to conduct teacher development programs so as to deepen Uyghur teachers'understanding of the some grammatical similarities between Uyghur and English, to increase their awareness of classroom discourse.