Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Code Switching: ¿Y Qué?, Helen Zamarripa

Theses Digitization Project

The project examined the pros and cons regarding the use code of switching across social contexts both in oral and written language. It argues that code switching is a viable mediating tool for teaching students the values of their language(s), culture(s), and identity. The researcher uses Vygotsky's concept of the Zone of Proximal Development to show that children often use code switching as a means to accommodate gaps in their English language skills. Teachers who recognize this can assist students by using social interaction and language as a tool to bridge the level of actual performance and the learning potential …