Teaching English in Pesantren: The Dynamics of Code-Switching in Multilingual Classrooms
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33096/tamaddun.v24i1.844Keywords:
code-switching, English language teaching, pesantrenAbstract
While the role of code-switching in multilingual classrooms has been widely examined in previous studies, particularly in general educational settings, only a limited number of investigations have focused on its application to pesantren settings teaching religious and secular subjects concurrently. This study investigates the use of code-switching in English teaching at a pesantren or Islamic boarding school in East Ciputat. The research found that code-switching is strategically used to explain vocabulary, check understanding, summarize lessons, and provide feedback. It was found that during complex content delivery and reflective activities, code-switching was more frequent, simplifying challenging material. Students generally showed positive reactions, but occasional confusion was observed. The study also found that other teaching styles, such as group discussions and multimedia use, further complemented code-switching. The study suggests that while code-switching enhances comprehension, teachers must strike a balance to avoid over-reliance on the native language, promoting more immersive English language learning. It calls for continued professional development for teachers in multilingual environments to optimize code-switching strategies and support students' language proficiency growth.
References
Braun, V., Clarke, V., & Gray, D. (2017). Collecting qualitative data: a practical guide to textual, media and virtual techniques. Cambridge University Press.
Chang, D. (1999). Classroom as discourse communities. Linguistics.
Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational Research. Boston: Pearson Education
Creswell, W. J., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches (5th Ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Gardner-Chloros, P. (2009). Code-Switching. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Domalewska, D. (2017). Discourse Analysis of Teacher Talk: Code Switching in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) Classrooms in Thailand. Asian Journal of Education and e-Learning.
Gardner-Chloros, P. (2009). Code-Switching. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Groot, A. M. B. (2011). Language and Cognition in Bilinguals and Multilinguals: An Introduction. New York: Psychology Press.
Habibah, U. (2015) English-Indonesian code switching used in Pondok Pesantren Darul Falah Walisongo Semarang. Undergraduate (S1) thesis, UIN Walisongo.
Halliday, MAK. (1975). Learning How to Mean: Explorations in The Functions of Language. London: Award Arnold, Ltd.
Heighman, J. & Croker, R. A. (2009). Qualitative Research in Applied Linguistics: A Practical Introduction. London
Palgrave Macmillan. Holmes, J. (2013). An Introduction to Sociolinguistic (4th Edition). New York: Routledge.
Ishak, N.I., Dj., M.Z., & Nur, H. (2020). Descriptive Analysis of the English Teacher’s Code Switching. IJRETAL International Journal of Research on English Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 1(1), 28-38.
Kamaliah, A.M., Amri, M.M., & Laksmi, E.D. (2023). Teachers' Code Mixing and Code Switching within EFL Environments. PARADIGM: Journal of Language and Literary Studies, 6(2).
Macaro, E. (2018). The bilingual teacher: A model of code-switching in the classroom. Oxford University Press.
Mattson, A., & Burenhult, N. (1999). Code-Switching in Second Language Teaching of French. Working Papers 47.
Miles, M. B. and Hubberman, M. (1994). Qualitative Data Analysis. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Moore, D. (2010). Code-Switching and Learning in The Classroom. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism.
Mujiono. (2010). Indonesian-English Code Switching to Develop Teenager's Speaking Proficiency. Lingua-Idea.
Mujiono. (2013). Code-switching in English as foreign language instruction practiced by the English lectures at universities. International Journal of Linguistics.
Myers-Scotton. (1993). Social Motivations for Code-Switching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Poplack, S. (1980). Sometimes I’ll Start a Sentence in Spanish by Termino en espanol. Toward a Typology of Code Switching.
Poplack, S. (2004). Code-Switching. Sociolinguistics/soziolinguistik: An International handbook of the science of language (2nd).
Puspawati, I. (2018). Teachers’ Use of Code Switching in EFL Classroom and its Functions. Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Learning, 3(1), 42–51. https://doi.org/10.18196/ftl.3128
Rasyid. F. (2015). Metodologi Penelitian Sosial: Teori dan Praktik. Kediri: STAIN Kediri Press.
Rymes, B. (2016). Classroom Discourse Analysis. New York: Routledge.
Schmidt, A. (2015). Between The Languages: Code-Switching in Bilingual Communication. Hamburg: Anchor Academic Publisher.
Scotton, C. M. (2017). Language and the Mediation of Experience: Linguistic Representation and Cognitive Orientation. In The Handbook of Sociolinguistics. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405166256.ch22
Shafi, S., Kazmi, S. H., & Rehman, A. (2020). Benefits of code-switching in language learning classroom at University of Education Lahore. International Research Journal of Management, IT and Social Sciences, 7(1), 227–234. https://doi.org/10.21744/irjmis.v7n1.842
Siddiq, R., Kustati, M., & Yustina, L.S. (2020). Teachers’ Code Mixing and Code Switching: Insights on Language Barriers in EFL Classroom. Al-Ta’lim Journal, 27(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.15548/jt.v27i1.606
Soliha, I., Susandi, A., & Prasetiya, B., (2020). English-Indonesian Code Switching Applied in Pondok Pesantren Terpadu Miftahul Ulum Al-Yasini Pasuruan. Premise Journal, 9(2), 213-230.
Soysal, Y. (2021). An exploration of the determinants of middle school students’ argument quality by classroom discourse analysis. Research in Science and Technological Education, 1–29.https://doi.org/10.1080/02635143.2021.1908981
Sugiyono. (2015). Metode Penelitian Pendidikan: Pendekatan Kuantitatif, Kualitatif dan R&D. Bandung: Alfabeta Bandung Publisher.
Sumarsih, et. al. (2014). Code Switching and Code Mixing in Indonesia: A Study in Sociolinguistic. Language and Literature Study.
Susanty, L., Saud, J., Munawir, A., Julhadi, & Faizin. (2023). The Context of Using Code Switching between Students and Lecturers at Islamic Education Management Study Program: A Sociolinguistic Study. RETORIKA: Jurnal Ilmu Bahasa, 9(1), 93-99. https://doi.org/10.55637/jr.9.1.6647.93-99
Tang, K. S. (2017). Analyzing Teachers’ Use of Metadiscourse: The Missing Element in Classroom Discourse Analysis. Science Education, 101(4), 548–583. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21275
Thoms. (2012). Classroom Discourse in Foreign Language Classrooms: A Review of The Literature. Foreign Language Annals.
Ulfah, N. M. (2014). The use of Code-Switching by English teachers in Foreign Language Classrooms. Makassar: Makassar Muhammadiyah University Press.
Walsh. (2011). Exploring Classroom Discourse: Language in Action. London and New York: Routledge.
Trousdale. (2010). An Introduction to English Sociolinguistics. Edinburg: Edinburgh University Press.
Trudgile, P. (2000). Sociolinguistic: An Introduction to Language and Society (4th Edition). London: Penguin Book Ltd.
Valentika, R., & Yulia, Y. (2020). An analysis of Teachers ’ Classroom Interaction by Using Self-evaluation of Teacher Talk. Journal of English Language and Pedagogy, 3(1), 41–51.
Downloads
Published
Versions
- 2025-07-08 (2)
- 2025-07-08 (1)
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Nailiyatul Fitriyah, Didin Nuruddin Hidayat, Nida Husna
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with Tamaddun journal agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain the copyright and grant Tamaddun the right of first publication. The work will be licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits others to share the work with proper acknowledgment of the authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2. Authors may enter into additional non-exclusive agreements for the distribution of the published version of their work (e.g., posting it to an institutional repository or including it in a book), provided that the initial publication in this journal is acknowledged.
3. Authors are encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their personal websites) before and during the submission process. This can lead to productive exchanges and increase the visibility and citation of the published work.
