Code-Switching
Monday, September 27th at 8pm on WHRO-TV
Everyone at some point in their lives has code-switched. You may not be all that familiar with the term, but if you’ve ever transitioned from an informal speech pattern to a more formal type of speech, you’ve code-switched.
The transition usually occurs based on a person’s surroundings. For example: when 40 year old Gayle meets a girlfriend for lunch, she might greet her this way: “Hey girl, what’s up!” However, if Gayle was addressing her company’s board of directors, both her words and the way she delivers them would change.
Gayle’s greeting during this more professional setting would sound something like this: “Good afternoon everyone. How are you?” Gayle’s ability to transition from “What’s up!” to “How are you?” is called “code-switching.”
People can also code-switch from one language to another. Even changing the tone you use is a form of code-switching. The problem occurs, when a person doesn’t know how to “switch” from informal speech to Mainstream or Standard English.
Gayle’s 17 year old son is very comfortable telling his friends: “Shorty been down in F-L-A for a MINUTE!” While Gayle may not know what they’re talking about, her son’s friends understand that he’s telling them, “My girlfriend has been in Florida for several months.” But the slang definition of “A MINUTE” can also mean several years. The problem arises when Gayle’s son or one of his friends decides to look for a summer job and doesn’t know how to code-switch. Suppose a prospective employer asks, “How long have you been working part time?” And the teen responds, “’bout a minute!” If the employer is not familiar with urban slang, he’s probably thinking that the teen has only been working a short amount of time. Had the teen been able to Code-Switch and said, “I’ve been working part time for the past three years,” this would have been instantly clear to his perspective boss.
Not only is Mainstream or Standard English the form of speech his potential boss understands, but it’s also the type of speech the boss believes his customers can relate to. As a result, the teen’s ability to code-switch greatly improves his chances of getting the job.
The new boss doesn’t really care if the teen uses the phrase “’bout a minute” when he’s talking to his friends. He just wants to know that when he asks the teen a question – or more importantly, if a customer asks a question – that the teen will respond in a way that they can understand.
The “Code-Switching” documentary will look at how the inability to code-switch can impact where you work and what you earn. The documentary does not point the finger at a particular dialect as incorrect or wrong. Nor does it imply that only Mainstream or Standard English should be spoken at all times – but it does address the pitfalls of only being able to speak informally in a society that expects formal speech in certain environments.
Code-switching is a practice that’s been around for centuries, so why is it becoming a lost form of communication? What happens when someone does not know how to code-switch? And how will that impact the future of those who can’t or chose not to switch?
Join us… for a week long look at the issue of code-switching, starting with the documentary “Code-Switching”, which airs Monday, September 27th at 8pm on WHRO-TV. Public Affairs Programs HearSay with Cathy Lewis on WHRV 89.5FM, What Matters and Another View, both seen on WHRO-TV will all explore varying aspects of the issue. The week will culminate with another showing of the documentary on Sunday, October 3rd at 4 pm.