Code-switching is something most of us do- often without realising.
It might mean switching from English to your home language mid-conversation. Or softening your accent at work. Or texting differently than you’d speak in a meeting. At its core, code-switching is the ability to shift between different ways of speaking depending on context, audience & purpose.
In sociolinguistics, it’s often defined as the alternation between two or more languages or language varieties in a single interaction. But it also includes shifts in tone, vocabulary, formality, or even posture- all of which signal something about identity, solidarity, or power.
Researchers such as John Gumperz & Penelope Eckert have shown how these shifts are social, strategic & situational. For multilingual speakers especially, code-switching isn’t just a stylistic choice- it’s a form of survival, belonging & boundary negotiation.
In fact, many of our learners are already doing this- every time they take part in a classroom role play. When students act out scenarios like job interviews, customer complaints or doctor visits, they’re not just practising grammar- they’re switching registers, adopting new voices & developing pragmatic flexibility. It’s code-switching in action.
Which brings us to a thought-provoking new study conducted inside San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, California, as reported in an article in The Daily Californian [if anyone can track down the original study, please let me know]
Language Behind Bars: When Code-Switching Becomes Life-Altering
This participatory action research study, led by UC Berkeley linguist Gabriella Licata, explored what happens when code-switching isn’t just useful- it’s required to survive.
Working with a team of formerly & currently incarcerated research assistants, Licata carried out 40 interviews with people inside San Quentin. The team wanted to understand how individuals change their language in different prison contexts- & who bears the most “sociolinguistic labour” (the pressure to adapt how you speak in order to be understood, accepted or believed).
Their findings were striking:
- Boardspeak, the formal, institutional English used during parole hearings, is learned quickly- but widely described as “inauthentic” & “embarrassing”.
- Individuals who are non-native English speakers raised in the US carry the heaviest burden, constantly adapting to new communicative expectations.
- Academic spaces, such as those created by Mount Tamalpais College inside San Quentin, were consistently described as the safest environments for self-expression.
Why does this matter? Because in prison, being misunderstood isn’t just awkward- it can lead to punishment or affect your chances of release. As Licata put it, “the way they communicate during these pivotal, life-changing moments determines whether they stay in prison or not.”
This study echoes what scholars like Geneva Smitherman & April Baker-Bell have long argued: code-switching is never just about words — it’s about identity, opportunity & power.
Teacher Takeaways?
- Treat register as a tool, not a rule: Role plays, interviews & simulations are a chance to explore not just what’s correct — but what’s appropriate for different settings.
- Celebrate flexibility: Students who shift between dialects or languages are demonstrating linguistic dexterity — not “confusion”.
- Use real-world contexts: Bring in examples of register shifting from jobs, media or institutions. Not just courtroom dramas — but moments where language really matters.
Do your students recognize when they’re switching registers or styles? Do you ever talk about it explicitly?
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