Codeswitching in a University in Taiwan

Case Study: Ching-Yi Tien

Commentary: David C.S. Li

CASE STUDY

Introduction

The belief that 'English only' instruction is the most suitable medium-of-instruction policy in English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms, has led educators, as well as educational policymakers, in Taiwan to emphasise the importance of the English-only teaching pedagogical methods in the language classroom. As a result, the combined use of mother tongues with the target language – codeswitching (CS) – is often viewed in a negative light. As a practitioner in Taiwanese classrooms for several years, I have observed the tension between the issue of 'English only' teaching and the supportive role that the learners' own language might actually play in the classroom. It is this tension which has prompted me to engage in reflective practice to explore the nature of classroom talk, focusing specifically on how I use more than one language to accomplish lesson objectives.

Over the past decade, the primary focus of the Ministry of Education's educational reform (Ministry of Education, 2003) has been the implementation of the grade 1-9 curriculum (a combination of elementary and junior high-school education) and higher education. Language planning with regard to the English language has been emphasised. Mandarin is taught from grades 1 to 9 and English is taught as a subject from grades 5 to 9. Taiwanese is an optional course in primary school and is taught for one hour per week. At high school and university levels, both Mandarin and English are compulsory courses; Taiwanese is not taught at all. In addition, the Ministry of Education has launched another new policy (Chern, 2010) requiring university students to reach a certain English proficiency level before graduation. Thus, in the upper echelons of the education system, English is the most significant language of instruction.

In line with the Ministry of Education's English policy, the university where I work has embarked on a new policy by which all students, prior to graduation, have to achieve at least a B1 level of proficiency in English according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR; Council of Europe, 2008 – see the Appendix to this chapter).

Theoretical Orientation: Reflective Practice

Having been a teacher for more than 10 years, I often wonder whether my teaching really meets students' needs, or whether it is appropriate for each course I provide. This is particularly true when an English-only policy is applied. Such a policy is greatly emphasised in Taiwan, especially in the department where I work, so I decided to engage in reflective practice to explore the nature of classroom talk. I decided to focus specifically on how I can use more than one language to accomplish multiple lesson objectives.

Reflective practice, first introduced by Dewey in 1933, is defined as an 'active, persistent and careful consideration of any belief or support form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusions to which it tends' (Dewey, 1933: 118). This schema was later extended by Schön (1983), who distinguished between reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action. Reflective practice has been fashionable in the United States since the late 1970s and early 1980s but it fell out of favour in the late 1990s (Farrell, 2004). Nevertheless, it is still favoured and practised in the educational field in many countries (Ashraf & Rarieya, 2008; Leshem & Trafford, 2006; McGarr & Moody, 2010; Minott, 2011; Regan, 2007).

Although, according to Burton (2009), the term 'reflective practice' has sometimes been criticised for being merely a slogan, Finlay (2008: 2) stated that it 'carries multi-meanings that range from the idea of professionals engaging in solitary introspection to that of engaging in critical dialogue with others'. Simply put, it refers to practitioners who learn through, and from, their own teaching experience and gain new insights as a result. Larrivee and Cooper (2006: 4) have presented the following list of definitions of reflective practice over the past two decades. Reflective practice is:

• a dialogue of thinking and doing through which one becomes more skilled;

• a process that helps teachers think about what happened, why it happened, and what else could have been done to reach their goals;

• an enquiry approach that involves a personal commitment to continuous learning and improvement;

• the practice of analysing one's actions, decisions or products by focusing on one's process for achieving them;

• a critical, questioning orientation and a deep commitment to the discovery and analysis of information concerning the quality of a professional's judicious action;

• a willingness to accept responsibility for one's professional practice;

• a systematic and comprehensive data-gathering process enriched by dialogue and collaborative effort;

• the use of higher-level thinking, such as critical enquiry and meta-cognition, which allows one to move beyond a focus on isolated facts or data to perceive a broader context for understanding behaviour and events;

• the capacity to think creatively, imaginatively and, eventually, self-critically about classroom practice;

• an ongoing process of examining and refining practice, variously focused on the personal, pedagogical, curricular, intellectual, societal and/or ethical contexts associated with professional work.

The definitions provided in the list above show...