DELFIN CEJUDO -
THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF NON-THAI TEACHERS IN CODE-SWITCHING AT NAKHON PATHOM RAJABHAT UNIVERSITY : TRANSLANGUAGING
Code-switching is typically observed in bilingual or multilingual environments. Moreover, in EFL classrooms, teachers employ it as a teaching strategy due to the students' limited command of the English language. Thus, this phenomenon is a complex issue that teachers and students must carefully consider. While it can be a helpful tool for language learning, it should be used judiciously to maximize its benefits and minimize its drawbacks. The present study investigates the lived experiences of non-Thai-speaking teachers' code-switching in the delivery of their English lessons in EFL classrooms. The study employs a qualitative approach, specifically phenomenology. The teachers were interviewed using semi-structured interview questions. The responses were transcribed and analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step descriptive phenomenological data analysis approach. The findings of this study showed that teachers’ experiences of code-switching were a helpful, practical, and essential tool to foster active participation from the students. The teachers’ reasons for utilizing code-switching are to relieve students’ anxiety and amplify socialization, word power, understanding of grammar, and instruction. Additionally, the teachers face a challenge when they code-switch due to the tone-sensitive nature of the Thai language. Thus, it is suggested that one must be at least conversational in the students' language to effectively use code-switching. Lastly, the coping strategy was to ask the students who understood and spoke English well in the class to translate or support them with the correct tone of the word. It is concluded in this study that teachers should not cease using code-switching since it helps students grasp complex ideas and allows them to be engaged in the classroom.
Delfin Cejudo recently graduated from Far Eastern University Roosevelt with a Master's degree of Arts in Education major in English Studies and Instructions. Currently, he is an English instructor at Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University.