Iranian bilinguals' reverse code-switching: An implicit quest for power?

Abstract

Positioned within the discipline of sociocultural linguistics, this study redefines the concept of code-switching (CS) by focusing on switches to L2 within one's mainstream speech in L1-a phenomenon called reverse code-switching (RCS). It further studies the role that age, educational background, second language proficiency (SLP), and familiarity with second language culture (FSLC) factors play on these perceptions. Applying a mixed-method approach, a researcher-made instrument was validated through Rasch modeling and exploratory factorial analyses, and the results were computed through a multivariate regression. The older and less educated the audiences, the more they labeled RCS as a symbolic resource. The younger generation and the more educated considered it more as a metaphorical switch. Socially negative attitudes were negatively correlated with SLP, but statistically unaffected by FSLC. The study concludes with a discussion of the results and a body of implications for future research.