Code-switching

Code-switching is the mixing, or alternation between two or more languages. Usually, the switching occurs between free morphemes, but there are exceptions as well. Code-switching is very common between bilingual or multilingual speakers. We can hear code-switching conversations in Malaysia quite often, as it is actually a part of our daily life. To quote some of the very common examples (non-English words in italic):

1. You want to makan now? (Do you want to eat now?)
2. He balik already. (He already went back.)
3. This is so salah! (This is so wrong!)
4. He gao-dim the problem liao. (He already solved the problem.)

The liao in Example 4 comes from colloquial pronunciation of Chinese word了, a modal to mark the perfective aspect of an action. According to the universal metagrammatical rule, switches happen only when the word order of both languages is in alignment. Liao here seems to replace the English word "yet" or "already". Malaysians usually place the word "already" at the end of a sentence.

Ever since I move to my current job, I found out that code-switching is becoming more and more frequent in my conversation with my colleagues. Mixture of Mandarin Chinese, English and French is a part of our daily conversations:

1. 他沒有aller? (He is not going?)
2. 他們是從Inde來的。(They are from India)
3. 他沒有給你那份document? T'es sûr? (He hasn't give you the document? Are you sure?")

The French verbs used in code-switching conversations are either in infinitive, or conjugated forms according to the person.

Sometimes, I deliberately code-switch between Spanish and French to one of my French colleagues (who somehow often reminds me of Tanguy):

Tengo hambre! T'as déjà mangé? (I'm hungry! You have already eaten?)

I speak French much better than Spanish, and the purpose of mixture of Spanish phrases in my French conversations to this French guy (a polyglot who can speak his mother tongue French, as well as English, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin and Malay) is actually to practice my Spanish. Still, I found out that I code-switch in between Mandarin, English and French with him much more frequently than in Spanish!