Code Switching as a Communicative Strategy: A Case Study of Korean-English Bilinguals

This study examines purposes of code switching (CS) and how CS is used as a communicative strategy between Korean-English bilinguals. Data were collected through videotaping of conversations between a first-generation Korean-English bilingual adult and two Korean-English bilingual children. Qualitative data analysis indicated that CS could be brought about and shaped by the dynamics of the relationship of the speaker-addressee and by cultural features embedded in the Korean language. The analysis also posited that CS functions as a communicative strategy for facilitating family communication by lowering language barriers as well as by consolidating cultural identity. Results raise further awareness that CS is a versatile strategy to meet the complex communicative demands between or within generations of an immigrant family.