CODE-SWITCHING: A PRE- OR POST-SHOW ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY

Learning Objectives

By the end of this activity, students should be able to:

Employ the ideas of “code-switching” and “contextual identity” in discussion

Write dialogue and describe body language for contrasting scenarios

Identify and discuss how code-switching creates different roles for one person

Step One: Discuss Code-Switching (10 minutes)

In English, characters remark that they feel and act differently when speaking in their mother tongue of Farsi than when they express their ideas in English.

We all learn to present ourselves differently in social situations in our lives as a way of shaping how other people view us. You may have heard this called code-switching For example, we might toggle between two or more languages, dialects, or accents. We might choose different vocabulary to use with one group of people that we would not use with another group. We might speak in a different rhythm or use a higher or lower tone. We might change the way we dress or move. Folks whose identities are further outside of the dominant culture might do this more frequently than others.

People code-switch for a lot of different reasons! Sometimes it’s to connect with others or to fit in. Sometimes it’s for our own physical safety or the safety of those in our community. This ability to code-switch forms a contextual identity, meaning that we seem different in different contexts or situations.

Are you (the students) familiar with this term? Where have you seen code-switching? Can you think of examples where you use code-switching? It’s possible that you might have used it to fit in with friends or peers, to show you are part of your family or culture, or to act “appropriately” for a serious or formal occasion.

Step Two: What Would You Say and Do? (20 minutes)

Use the example scenario below to brainstorm as a collective: what are three things you might say? What are three ways you might use body language or vocal quality?

Example Scenario: You’re watching your friend’s very cranky baby sister, and she won’t stop fussing. What would you say to soothe the baby? How would you use your voice differently than your usual speech?

Then select two or three of the scenarios below to read to your students, one at a time. If desired, use the worksheet provided in this packet to record answers. In the “say” column, write three things in quotation marks, exactly as you would say them. In the “do” column, add three descriptors of ways you might use body language or speaking style to get your point across.