S ING 1004903 Chapter1

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Riska Linawatii, 2015

Code switching : The use of L1 in teaching English speaking skill at a junior high school in Bandung

Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu | perpustakaan.upi.edu

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

This chapter is an introduction of this study. It presents a brief description

of the background of the study in the use of code switching to ALL in teaching

English speaking skill, which is the explanation part. Subsequently, the

background of the study is followed by the purpose, questions, significance,

scope, methodology, and clarification of terms of the study. At last, this chapter

also presents the organization of the paper.

1.1 Background of the Study

Code switching takes place in many occasions of people’s conversation. It

could be found in daily interaction and in classroom teaching and learning

process. The occurrences of code switching in those two conditions are

understood as naturalistic code switching and classroom code switching (Macaro,

2014, p. 11). In relation to the naturalistic code switching, it is defined as a way to

communicate in bilingualism speech people. The multilingualism in Indonesia

permits the code switching shows its existence; whether it is switching between

official Indonesian with a traditional language, or a traditional language with

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The occurrence of code switching also takes place in classroom whether it

is a Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) or a Teaching English as a

Foreign Language (TEFL) classroom as a tool in the classroom interaction

between teacher and the students to learn or to improve or to advance their target

language (TL). Related to this, in Indonesia, English is taught since the very

beginning level of education. In real classroom, the teacher does not really use

English as the instructional language. Indonesian is used in the larger portion than English itself, even in the whole lesson. Based on the researcher’s experience in primary and secondary level of education, the teacher used Indonesian in the

whole lesson. The teacher used English when reading text on the course book

only. This condition causes the researcher and her friends do not have chance to

use English. It is caused by the lack of exposure in practicing the spoken

language.

Besides, it is felt as a disadvantage because there is no effort from the teacher to create appropriate atmosphere and to encourage the students’ interest in learning English. Moreover, based on the researcher’s experience in doing

teaching practicum, it is not a weird situation for the students where Indonesian is

used much more than English itself in the English course. In contrast, there is a

point of view which states that using English-only is an appropriate way in

teaching and learning English. It requires the teacher and students use English

only in the classroom, such as the policy of using English predominantly in the

classroom in Japanese education (Humphries, 2014, p. 65). There must be positive

and negative effects of that English-only use in classroom activity, also for

education in Indonesia. In line with this, the present study investigates the

occurrence of code switching to L1 where English is not used exclusively in the

classroom. The present study intends to see whether the use of code switching to

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As stated previously, code switching could be used in teaching English as

a target language (TL), as in Indonesia. It allows the teacher and students use their

mother tongue and practice their TL in classroom. It gives a place where the L1

and TL are used together in achieving learning objective. Related to this, using

English in the teaching and learning process still become a prominent thing. When

the students have limitation in producing the sentence in the TL, the code

switching to L1 can be used to cope problem that happens in the class. This code

switching allows the teacher to use English and L1 in proper portion where it

could provide a chance for the students to learn English better (Cook, 2001, as

cited in Jingxia, 2010).

Using English in the English course is needed because it is about teaching

a language. Practice is needed. It is noticeable that there is a lack of exposure in

practicing English in Indonesia. The only prepared place to use English is school,

that is, when they are learning English course. When they are in an actual social

environment, there is a low intensity of exposure to use English. Hariyanto (1997)

holds that several students will be successful to speak English when they are

learning as a student in school. This condition will change after they graduated

from school. The ability of speaking English would descend because of the lack of

exposure in using the language (as cited in Haris, 2006, p.1).

As stated before, the phenomenon of code switching may occur in TESL

and TEFL classroom since they use more than one language in the teaching and

learning process. In this situation, code switching refers to alternate use of the first

language and the target language (Jingxia, 2010, p. 10). It is found that TESL

classroom where perceives English as the second language, has high exposure in

using English or target language because English is used as a tool or medium in

the classroom interaction. Besides, English is also used as a way in maintaining

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exposure in using English compared with TESL classroom because the students

may do not have enough exposure in using the target language outside the

classroom interaction, as in Indonesia.

Obviously, there are many studies have investigated the occurrence of code switching in classroom situations. Many of them investigate teacher’s use of L1 in delivering the lesson and how the teacher responds when the students do not

understand the English or the target language (Jiangxia, 2010; Tien, 2014; Tian,

2014; Canh, 2014). In line with that, while other studies inspecting code switching

in the teaching and learning process in a whole lesson, the present study

investigates the phenomenon of code switching in specific area, that is code

switching in teaching English speaking skill; when the teacher is explaining a

topic. In addition, the present study wants to find out whether or not code

switching is beneficial for the teacher and students.

Still in context of code switching, it has more chance to happen in spoken

area than the written one (Barnard & McLellan, 2014, p. 7). The spoken highly

takes place in the classroom interaction, moreover in teaching the speaking skill

when the teacher gives details of the lesson and the students are expected to be

able to produce or utter something in line with what the teacher has shown and

explained. Related to this, the teacher should be able to give more exposure for

the students to use the English in the classroom interaction and be able to clarify

or deliver the meaning.

In the teaching and learning process, although the teacher has prepared

everything well, there must be unpredictable things occur in the teaching and learning process itself. One of them might be the lack of students’ knowledge in term of vocabulary that will distract and challenge the teacher in conveying the

meaning. This limitation should not make the teacher just mentions the meaning

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conditions will affect the teacher’s preference in switching the language in conveying the purpose to the students. Related to the preference in switching the

language in the teaching and learning process, teacher has to use the English as

much as possible and encourage the students to use English or target language as

much as they can (Gao & Dai, 2007, as cited in Tian, 2014, p. 43).

In teaching and learning process, both teacher and students have important

role in achieving objective of the lesson completely. As an organizer, the teacher

should be able to organize them in doing activity, give instruction, put them in

group, etc to improve the students’ competence and performance in English (Harmer, 2007, p. 58). Related to this condition, investigate the teacher’s switching, know about causes of his/ her switching to L1, and know about students’ perception toward this switching are considered essential. A teacher should be able to show his/ her capability and know what he/ she exactly doing is, to help the students in understanding the lesson. This kind of teacher’s professionalism will affect the students’ respect to the teacher him/ herself (Harmer, 2007, p. 128). Therefore, know about the students’ perception will benefit the teacher to make some changes or developments in doing the better

teaching.

1.2 Purpose of the Study

In the previous section, background information of the present study has

been presented. The purposes of the study are elaborated in this section.

The purpose of the study is to explore the insights of code switching to

Indonesian or Sundanese (L1) which takes place in the classroom between teacher

and students in the process of teaching and learning English speaking skill; where

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in teacher’s switching, causes that trigger the teacher in switching to L1, and students’ perception towards the teacher’s switching. In addition, this study hopefully gives knowledge or additional insights for the teachers in switching to

Indonesian appropriately in helping and empowering the students in learning

English speaking skill. As a point to be underlined, the measurement of code switching is undertaken only for the teacher’s discourse (excluding students’ questions and answers) since the study concerns on the code switching to

Indonesian which is done by the teacher in explaining the topic.

1.3 Research Questions

As noted in introduction and purposes of the study section, several issues

of the code switching has been presented. Three research questions coherent to the

purpose of the study are as follow:

a. What types of code switching are used by the teacher in the teaching and

learning English speaking skill process?

b. What causes influence the teacher in switching to L1?

c. What are students’ perceptions towards the teacher’s switching to L1 in

the teaching and learning process?

1.4 Significance of the Study

It is expected that the study is able to make at least one benefit or

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Through this investigation, it is hoped that the result could give new insights for

English teachers in implementing the switching based on their purposes and

beliefs toward it. In addition, it is also expected that the present study could bring

awareness and consciousness to the teacher in implementing better classroom

interaction and achieving objectives of the lesson in teaching English speaking

skill. In other words, this study wants to give benefit to the teacher in teaching to improve the students’ ability in area of speaking skill.

Moreover, the result of this study is expected to give some contributions

theoretically, professionally, and practically.

Theoretically, hopefully the result of this study can enrich the theory of

classroom code switching to L1 in TEFL context.

Professionally, this study can hopefully be reference for further study

regarding the field of classroom code switching to L1.

Practically, the result of this study hopefully can give benefit for

pedagogical implication served as consideration for English teacher to have more

awareness in using L1 appropriately in teaching English.

1.5 Scope of the Study

This study comprises three parts of discussion concerning the use of code

switching in teaching English speaking skill in an EFL classroom. It investigates

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1.6 Research Methodology

In the previous section, background of the study, purposes of the study,

research questions, significance of the study, and scope of the study have been

presented.

This section contains the methodology that is used to achieve the purposes

and answer the questions of the study that have been presented before. The brief

elaboration of the research methodology is depicted in these sub sections.

1.6.1 Design

This study employs qualitative research where it is more concerned with

understanding situations and events from the point of view of the participants and

the participants usually involved directly in the research process itself (Fraenkel.,

Wallen., & Hyun, 2012, p. 434). In addition, in collecting the data, the researcher

conducts the study naturally without making any hypothesis for the study. In line

with this qualitative research, this study employs a case study approach. Also, this

study uses multiple data collection such as videotape, questionnaire, and

classroom observation in gathering the needed data.

1.6.2 Participant of the Study

Participants of this study are an English teacher and 98 students of a junior

high school in Bandung. The students are the eighth grader. The English teacher

should match several criteria as: first, an English teacher who teaches grade eight.

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students have them as L1. Third, the teacher has to be a person who graduated

from English department.

1.6.3 Data Collection

This study applies videotape, questionnaire, and classroom observation in

gathering the needed data. The use of these three data collection techniques is

presented as follow.

1.6.3.1 Videotape

Videotape in the classroom is conveyed by recording the teaching and

learning process by using a camera. This record helps the researcher in attaining

complete data regarding the TEFL classroom interaction of teacher and the

students in teaching and learning process. Related to the videotape, audio-taping

or video-taping process is thought gives benefit where all the conversations will

be audible. The video-taping will make the analysis be easier (Merriam, 1988,

cited in Aminuddin, 2009, p. 39). The videotape activities by using camera are

hopefully able the researcher in determine the types of code switching which are

used by the teacher and able to give full and clear information about situation and

interaction happen in the classroom related to the occurrence of code switching to

L1 in the teaching and learning process itself, when the teacher is explaining the

lesson.

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Questionnaire is used as an instrument in gathering the data about the code

switching in the teaching and learning process. The questionnaire for this study is adapted from Jingxia (2010) where that Jingxia’s questionnaire was adapted from questionnaire developed by Duff & Polio (1990), Macaro (1997), and Levine

(2003). In addition, it is used to obtain information about causes of teacher’s switching to L1, also teacher’s and students’ perception towards it. The questionnaire for the teacher and students consist of three parts: personal

background, introduction, and questions part.

1.6.3.3 Classroom Observation

Classroom observation is applied to find out how the teacher creates the

atmosphere in teaching and how the teacher deals with problems which take place

in the classroom. Observation is an appropriate way to take complement

information. It is useful to discover what has become the participants’ routine and

to guide the researcher to recognize the context (Merriam, 1988, cited in

Aminuddin, 2009, p. 39). The observation also can be implemented through

looking to the videotape. Besides, take notes of some essential things are

conveyed to complement the data.

1.6.4 Data analysis

The data are analyzed differently based on each of the instrument. The

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1.6.4.1 Videotape

As stated earlier, the researcher records the participants’ conversations or

interactions in the teaching and learning process. The record will be transcribed,

and then it will be categorized. The categorization is used to find out what types

of code switching which take place mostly in the classroom interaction. The teacher’s switching to L1 is the aspect which is going to be analyzed since it is the concern of this study (excluding students’ questions and answers).

The conversation is analyzed in form of this table:

1.6.4.1.1 Analyzing the Types of Code Switching

Recording/

The participants’ answers on the questionnaire are analyzed as below:

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The teacher’s answers are analyzed and presented in descriptive form. The analysis will be shown based on the result of each question orderly.

b. Questionnaire of the students

The students’ answers are listed and analyzed to get information about their perception towards teacher’s switching in the teaching and learning process itself. Their answers are grouped and counted in percentage based the need of the

data.

1.6.4.3 Classroom Observation

Classroom observation is applied in this study to obtain information and

notes about situation and condition in the classroom. It is used to enrich and

complement the data. The information from this observation is expected to give a

help in doing cross-check data.

This is the process in doing the study in general:

Check the record whether or not it is audible.

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Re-take the record if it is

Analyze the teacher questionnaire to find out the

causes of teacher’s switching to L1 and student questionnaire to find out their perception towards it.

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1.7 Clarification of Terms

To avoid misunderstanding in the study, this section provides some

clarification terms used in the present study.

a. Code switching: switching TL and L1 in delivering the lesson when the

need of switching to L1 takes place (Jingxia, 2010, p. 10). In relation to the

present study, code switching is defined as the switching or combining Indonesian

or Sundanese (L1) and English (TL) in teaching English speaking skill between or

within sentence, phrases, or words simultaneously or interchangeable. The code

switching itself refers to switching English to L1 which is made by the teacher and the students’ answer and question are not included.

b. Teaching and learning: teaching and learning process in English speaking

skill, which is explanation part only.

1.8 Organization of the Paper

This paper is presented into five chapters as follow:

1. Chapter 1: Introduction

This chapter comprises the background of the study, purpose of the study,

research questions, significance of the study, scope of the study, research

methodology, clarification of terms, and organization of the paper.

2. Chapter 2: Literature Review

This chapter consists of related theories as the basis of investigating the

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perception towards the code switching which is done by the teacher. Additionally,

data from previous studies are also included in this chapter.

3. Chapter 3: Research Methodology

This chapter discusses the methodology used in conducting the study. It

explains how the study was conducted. This chapter involves design, participants,

data collection procedure, data analysis, and validity issue.

4. Chapter 4: Findings and Discussion

This chapter provides explanation about results of the study and

discussion. It shows the findings on the data collection and analyze as well as the

discussion related to the theoretical framework.

5. Chapter 5: Conclusion and Suggestions

This chapter presents the study conclusion and suggestions drawn from the

result of the study.

6. Bibliography

This chapter is related to the list of references that are used in completing

this study.

7. Appendices

This chapter contains several important appendices concern to the study.

These are the transcript of the teacher-students interaction in the classroom and

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