CODE-SWITCHING IN ELT CLASSROOMS IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO

Abstract

The use of the mother tongue also known as L1 as a needed and important constituent in the L2 classroom has been discussed amongst teachers of English as a foreign/second language for a long time. Therefore, the present study wants to answer the following research question: What are the circumstances ELT teachers and students switch between English and Albanian, with the goal to better understand teachers’ and students’ language choice regarding code switching in ELT classrooms. In order to reach the goal, a sample of 15 interviews conducted with primary, secondary, and higher education ELF teachers and of 15 interviews carried out with ELT high schools and university students, from the Republic of Kosovo is determined. The interviews are transcribed and then coded and the analysis rests upon the interpretativeinductive approach. The results of this study show that the majority of the EFL teachers use their mother tongue to either explain their ideas clearly, give instructions, manage the classroom, or understand instructions and ideas appropriately in English, etc. Teachers always switch to their mother tongue (L1) when using EFL (L2) and in very rare cases the opposite. The research results also display that EFL learners use code switching to express themselves better, to explain ideas, to communicate with each other, and to increase comprehension such as in cases when they ask their professors or their colleagues questions, but there are cases worth mentioning when professors and learners use it without even realizing it. This research will help teachers and students have a better understanding of the role of code-switching in ELT classes, and will make them more aware of this very common phenomenon.