The influence of code-switching on the message in a conversation

            The research of bilingualism has always been an exciting field both for psychologists and linguists as well. Even if it may seem, that a person says the same thing in another language when switching code, the message conveyed can be very different.

            This annotated bibliography will aim at presenting the evidence supporting the influence that code-switching has on the meaning of a bilingual speaker’s message. Three papers will be presented, all three looking and the bilingual message from a different perspective: the language mixing of bilinguals, the effect of code switching in advertising and the interpretation of code-switching in legal cases.

            The evidence brought about by these papers suggest that code switching in fact influences the message of a speaker to the extent that in can entirely change the outcome of the conversation.

Heredia, Roberto R., and Jeanette Altarriba. "Bilingual Language Mixing: Why Do Bilinguals Code-Switch?" Current Directions in Psychological Science: 164-68. Print.

            The authors of this paper point out the main misconceptions connected to the code switching of bilingual speakers. These misconceptions are presumption that speakers who code-switch are trying to make up for lack of language proficiency, the priority of one language over another and the assumption of first language priority. The writers present proof that contradicts these misconceptions allowing more room for further research.

            This paper is a great help for those researching the psycholinguistic reasons behind code-switching as it proves some of the most common presumptions about code-switching untrue. The writers arrive at the conclusion that probably language accessibility has the main influence over code switching, and that it is a time-related process.

            The reason why this paper is useful when examining the changes of messages behind languages in bilingual speakers is that it gives explanations for the occurrence of code-switching. The paper also gives evidence against misconceptions, helping the researcher not to presume anything that hasn’t been proven with reliable research.

Luna, David, and Laura A. Peracchio. "Advertising To Bilingual Consumers: The Impact Of Code‐Switching On Persuasion." Journal of Consumer Research: 760-65. Print.

            This paper examines the effect of code switching on persuading bilingual speakers in advertisements. Luna and Peracchio present an in-depth study on how bilingual speakers are influenced by words inserted in a first language text from the second language and vice-versa. They argue that minority language has a more negative associations than the majority language. From this the authors conclude that by inserting majority language words into minority language texts, it is more probable to influence the subjects in a positive way. The reason for this is because the majority language speakers associate negative values to the minority language which the minority group adopts to some extent.

            This writing is a well-developed and well based research on the influence of the code-switching on bilingual readers. It has a clear structure, and every claim is supported by facts from research and statistical data.

            In researching bilingual code-switching, this piece of writing is a great help, as it shows how code-switching can influence bilingual speakers. This in turn supports the idea that when switching codes the speakers themselves communicate meaning that is different from the meaning of the other language.

Jongh, Elena M. De. "Interpreting in Miami's Federal Courts: Code-Switching and Spanglish."Hispania: 274. Print.

Clark and Correa argue that it is essential for an interpreter to have profound knowledge of both languages in an interpreting situation. They exemplify the statement by bringing actual court cases and citing conversations when code-switching happened. The writers argue that code-swthing s unconscious, and the in-depth knowledge of the language is needed in order to faithfully interpret the meaning behind an utterance.

The paper is well grounded and backed up by actual examples. For instance, in US courts with Spanish witnesses, the code-switching usually occurs unconsciously, when the speaker wants to make himself understood and knows that the other speaker knows both languages. The actuality of the problem research gives more credibility to the writing.

In the research of the influence of code-switching on the message of one’s speech this paper is a great help as it exemplifies with real life examples, how testimonies can be changed by a switch of language, and misinterpretation of these can lead to faulty verdicts.