Teacher Code-Switching in CET-4/6-Oriented College English Reading Instruction: A Case Study of Its Functions, Rationales, and Pedagogical Implications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61360/BoniCETR262020670904Keywords:
teacher code-switching, CET-4/6, college English teaching, EFL, examination-oriented instructionAbstract
Although teacher code-switching (CS) has been widely examined in English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms, relatively limited research has focused on its role in examination-oriented instructional settings. This study investigates teacher CS practices in College English Test Band 4/6 (CET-4/6) reading classes at a Chinese university. Drawing on Ferguson‘s (2003) framework, the study adopts a qualitative approach, collecting classroom recordings, observation notes, and stimulated recall interviews from three College English teachers. The findings reveal three primary functions of teacher CS: curriculum access, classroom management, and interpersonal relations, with curriculum access being the most dominant. Within this function, teachers frequently used Chinese to explain vocabulary, analyze sentence structures, clarify concepts, and provide test-taking strategies. Notably, examination strategy instruction emerged as a distinct subtype of curriculum access specific to CET-4/6 reading instruction. Data from stimulated recall interviews indicate that teacher CS is influenced by multiple factors, including students’ language proficiency, time constraints, task difficulty, teachers' habitual practices, and student feedback. These findings suggest that CS in examination-oriented classrooms functions not as a substitute for English, but as a deliberate teaching resource shaped by institutional demands and classroom realities. This study contributes to a more contextualized and nuanced understanding of classroom CS and offers practical implications for College English teaching.
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