Language proficiency predictors of code-switching behavior in dual-language-learning children

• Published in: Bilingualism (Cambridge, England) Vol. 26; no. 5; pp. 942 - 958
• Main Authors: Schächinger Tenés, L T, Weiner-Bühler, J C, Volpin, L, Grob, A, Skoruppa, K, Segerer, R K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.11.2023
• Subjects: heritage language; questionnaire; preschoolers; code-switching; dual-language learning; children; language proficiency; societal language
• ISSN: 1366-7289; 1469-1841
• DOI: 10.1017/S1366728923000081

Code-switching, switching between different languages within the same conversation, is a prominent feature in bilingual communication. This study aimed to elucidate to what extent the linguistic abilities and age of dual-language-learning preschoolers influence the frequency and purposes of code-switching ( , to bridge linguistic gaps; , to express content as fluently as possible; , to phrase something appropriately for the situation). Parental code-switching ratings of 101 German/French-Turkish/Italian dual-language learners aged 32-78 months were analyzed. Generalized linear mixed models revealed positive but no negative effects of societal- and heritage-language skills on children's code-switching frequencies independent of switching purposes and with no evidence of age effects. Hence, code-switching across the preschool age mainly reflects high linguistic competences. Models with linguistically and psychometrically parallelized language scores indicated a strong switching tendency toward the societal language when proficiency in both languages is high and away from the societal language when language proficiencies are low.