Chinese Plurilingual Students (Re)Shaping of Identity Through Code-Switching Practices in Writing Short Stories

• In Event: 81.032 - MTCC Roundtable Session 37
  In Roundtable Session: 81.032-5 - Chinese Language Education: Insights and Challenges

Abstract

This study explores the experiences of and intentions for code-switching with Chinese adult students in an Ontario continuing education program. Each participant wrote a short story with the option to incorporate an experimental pedagogical strategy of code-switching. Using a qualitative method, data was collected from their written narratives and semi-structured interviews. The data indicate how adults can acquire writing skills and represent their identities through code-switching. The findings suggest that participants’ rationalizations for code-switching when writing are influenced by the teacher as an authority figure, an active engagement in learning, and the desire for conciseness and efficiency. Furthermore, code-switching in written narratives supports identity (re)shaping through their ownership of words, reflexivity in memories, and accommodations for the reader.

Author

• Wales Wong, University of Toronto