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Code-switching refers to a bilingual mode of speaking in which the speakers switch back and forth between the first language (L1) and second language (L2) (Grosjean, 2010). Historically, code-switching has been discouraged in educational institutions, perceived as a sign of language decay, or as having a negative influence on the individuals' proficiency in one or both languages (Aitchison, 1991). We hypothesized that monolinguals would perceive code-switching as a sign of linguistic incompetence and that bilinguals would perceive code-switching as indicative of a unique cognitive ability. Our results suggest that there are no perceptual differences between monolingual and bilingual individuals about code-switching as evidence of linguistic incompetence but that bilinguals in general perceive code-switching to be indicative of unique cognitive ability. Future researchers might study individuals from various backgrounds other than university settings.
Generally, the term "code-switching" refers to the ability to switch between two languages during a conversation, and is a common phenomenon in bilingual conversation. Code-switching can be viewed not as evidence of a limitation of the bilingual speaker, nor even as a deficit of vocabulary, but rather as the selection of words/languages which are readily available to the speaker (Lance, 1975). Code-switching can be considered a "bilingual mode of speaking" (Valdes-Fallis, 1978, p. 67). Early researchers considered code- switching a form of interference between First language (L1) and Second language (L2) (Duran, 1994). Also, monolingual individuals considered code-switching to be an abnormal means of communication because the phenomenon was unfamiliar to them (Duran, 1994). However, in recent years it has been considered an important phenomenon in terms of revealing the complex methods of comprehension and processing of two languages in the human brain (Gardner-Chloros, 2009).
Code-switching has been widely studied in research on bilingualism. According to Grosjean (2010), code switching is a distinctive way of speaking in which the speaker switches back and forth between L1 and L2. During the switch, usually the speaker moves to the other language completely in search of "a word, phrase or sentence" and then returns to the root language (Grosjean, 2010, p. 743). In considering the cognitive aspects of bilingualism, Kroll (2008) stated, "The presence of activity among both languages when only one language is required, in the absence of a serious disruption to performance, suggests...