Code-Switching Practices among Immigrant Polish L2 Users of English
Code-Switching Practices among Immigrant Polish L2 Users of English

Summary/Abstract: The present paper aims to present a mixed method study on code-switching practices among L2 users immersed in the L2 culture. Code-switching practices were measured among 62 Polish L2 users of English who had immigrated to the UK and Ireland and reported using English on an everyday basis. The informants of the study were to fill in an online questionnaire and answer an open question concerning situations in which they switch from their L2 to L1 most frequently. Quantitative analysis showed that age and self-perceived L2 proficiency were both linked to the frequency of code-switching. Qualitative analysis of the results revealed that the participants reported code switching mostly in emotionally charged situations as well as when discussing personal topics with known interlocutors. The results of the study are in line with some quantitative studies (Dewaele, 2010) as well as some autobiographical findings (Grosjean, 2010; Pavlenko, 2004; Wierzbicka, 2004) and shed some more light on the complex notion of bilingualism and code-switching.

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